MARIETTA, Ga. — Police say an impaired driver crashed into a school bus full of children and then fled the scene, sending two kids to the hospital.
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The crash happened just before 7 a.m. Friday, along Cobb Parkway near North Marietta Parkway.
Authorities say a man driving a pickup truck, with a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit, slammed into the back of a Marietta City Schools bus.
“That school bus was full of children. The driver panicked and immediately left the scene,” said Marietta Police spokesperson Chuck McPhilamy.
Officials say this is every parent’s worst nightmare: a school bus packed with children involved in a crash.
According to an arrest warrant, one child on the bus experienced numbness in their legs, while another suffered severe neck and back pain. Both were taken to the hospital.
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They are expected to be OK, but are in significant pain.
Police say the suspect didn’t get far. Officers quickly located him a few miles away after putting out a description of the vehicle.
“Our officers put out a description of the vehicle and found him a few miles away in a very odd place compared to where the accident occurred,” McPhilamy said.
Police identified the driver as Wilson Hoffens Rodas. He is now charged with DUI and hit-and-run.
“We’re very relieved that this wasn’t any worse,” McPhilamy said.
Parents were notified about the crash. Officials say the school bus sustained only minor damage.
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