School bus overturns near Houston, multiple injuries reported

By Dan Whitcomb

(Reuters) - A school bus overturned in southeast Texas, on Friday, injuring more than a dozen students and the driver, the local sheriff and school district said.

The bus rolled over while carrying students from schools in Crosby, Texas, northeast of Houston, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter.

"We can confirm there are multiple injuries reported -- we are not aware of the extent of injuries," the sheriff's office said in a second tweet.

Crosby Independent School District said in a post on its Facebook page that 14 people, including the driver, had been transported to local hospitals by ambulance.

"We understand it was bumps and bruises, but we wanted to get them to a hospital to make sure they're OK," Harris County Sheriff Deputy Ralph Gonzales told local KHOU-TV.

The ages or grades of the students was not immediately known.

Neighbors Emergency Center in Crosby declined to say how many students it had received from the crash.

Gonzales said the bus driver told investigators she swerved to miss another vehicle and lost control, according to the station.

The sheriff's office and the school district both said that contrary to initial reports there were no students trapped inside the overturned bus.

"Bus 213 was involved in a serious bus accident. Paramedics are on the scene of the accident and at this time there are no life-threatening injuries to report," Crosby Independent School District said in a post on its Facebook page. "Students are currently being evaluated by medical personnel."

According to its website, the Crosby Independent School District serves a kindergarten, four elementary schools, a middle school and high school.

Crosby is a community of about 2,300 people some 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Houston

The district said students from the bus would be transported to an operations center once they are evaluated.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)