THEODORE, Ala. (WPMI) A Theodore woman remains in critical condition at USA Medical Center Monday night and 15 others are recovering from injuries after a small bus and a car crashed at the intersection of Dauphin Island Parkway and Foul River Road.
The six adults and nine children on the bus were from Riverhill School in Florence, Alabama. They were here on a field trip. The bus and a gold Infiniti collided around 1:30 Monday afternoon.
"I just thank God that those kids are OK. They could have died in that crash," said Theodore resident Shirley Lunnon, who witnessed the crash.
"I''ve never seen a car that smashed," said witness Meghan Lindsey.
"I watched the bus role over in slow motion," said another witness.
Troopers say a group of 11 and 12-year-old students, chaperones and a driver from Riverhill School were staying on Dauphin Island for a field trip. Around 1:30 they headed north on Highway 193 to Mobile for dinner, but never made it.
"God was riding with them and I believe that," said Lunnon.
Lunnon was behind the bus when it crashed into the gold Infiniti.Vallorie Hall, 58, of Theodore, was driving the car. Troopers say she failed to stop at the stop sign as she travelled east on Fowl Fiver Road.Lunnon and others rushed to help, some cutting a hole in the back of the bus to rescue the children.
"We jumped out of the truck and ran over and they were trying to beat the windows out and all of a sudden all I saw was all these babies! Young kids were coming out of the back of this van and they were crying and they were upset. They were terrified they came out and were just shaking," said Lunnon.
"These moms, they can't talk because they're holding their bloody kids so of course they want your help," described Lindsey.
Everyone involved went to the hospital, mostly with minor injuries, cuts and bruises.
Hall was flown to USA Medical Center with serious injuries.
Folks living in the Fowl River are say there's a dangerous issue at hand. There's a stop sign and a caution light at the crash site, but no stop light. Residents say they've been trying to get one for years.
"If you notice when you drive down this road, there's crosses all the way down there. Those are not street markers those are people that have died on this street out here. We need a red light," said Lunnon.
Troopers are still investigating and charges have not been filed.
