On Tuesday morning, January 4, 2011, a Cherokee County school bus collided with a tractor trailer at the intersection of Georgia Highway 369 and Lovelace Lane. 

Georgia State Police report that this school bus accident investigation is still ongoing, but their preliminary findings indicate that the school bus pulled out in front of the truck and that the truck driver did everything that he could to avoid the crash.  However, the driver was not able to avoid the crash and ended up hitting the front end of the bus before going into a 30 foot ditch.  Reports indicate that the bus driver had received more than the state required training, and that she had been driving for the school district since November as a substitute bus driver.

Eight people were injured in the crash.  Six of the injuries were minor and were suffered by Free Home Elementary School students.  All of the students were released from area hospitals by noon on January 4. 

The injuries to the bus driver and to the truck driver were more serious.  The 52-year-old bus driver, Lisa Spince of Ball Ground, and the 43-year-old truck driver, Richie McKnight of Marrow, were both taken to North Fulton Hospital with serious injuries.

We extend our best wishes for a full and complete recovery to everyone injured in this Georgia school bus and tractor trailer accident.