Shreveport, La. – On Tuesday morning a Magnolia School of Excellence school bus carrying roughly 50 students struck a concrete barrier on Interstate 49 just south of Interstate 20. The crash resulted in ten students being taken to local hospitals for evaluation.
Incident details
Shreveport Fire Chief Clarence Reese classified the event as a Level 2 mass‑casualty incident because of the number of children on board, though he noted that injuries reported at the scene were minor. The bus driver also sustained minor injuries but remained at the scene to assist.
Parents’ accounts
Several parents said their children called immediately after the crash. One mother recounted her daughter’s description: the bus was overcrowded, with some children sitting on the floor, and the driver was playing music loudly and not paying attention. The daughter later suffered a fractured ankle, whiplash and a dislocated shoulder.
Another parent reported that her son, who was seated near the front, told her the driver “went too fast around the curb and hit a barrier.”
Unclear cause and ongoing investigation
Police have not yet determined a definitive cause. Initial reports suggested a tire blowout, but the Shreveport Police Department has not released a final incident report. The investigation remains active.
Communication concerns
Parents expressed frustration with how they were notified. One parent said the only message she received came through the Bus Ride app, which merely noted a “minor accident” and warned that the next bus would run behind schedule. Another parent said she has been calling the school repeatedly without receiving any direct information.
Magnolia School of Excellence spokesperson Colleen Reynolds issued a statement saying the school has contacted every family whose child was on the bus and is closely monitoring the situation. “We do not have any additional information at this time,” Reynolds added.
Community response
The incident has sparked a broader conversation among Shreveport families about student transportation safety, driver oversight, and the adequacy of school communication protocols during emergencies. Local parent‑teacher groups are urging the school district to review bus capacity limits, driver training standards, and to establish a more robust notification system that reaches families directly, not solely through an app.
School officials have indicated they will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and will consider parental feedback when revising transportation policies.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
