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Georgia State Patrol: Driver error caused Salem High bus rollover that injured 22 players
Two weeks after a school bus carrying Salem High School football players overturned in Rockdale County, Georgia State Patrol says the 74-year-old driver failed to properly negotiate a turn, sending the bus across Highway 138 and into a construction site. The team returned to the field Friday night with 16 injured players still sidelined, as investigators announced no charges will be filed.
ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. â Georgia State Patrol investigators have concluded that driver error caused the school bus rollover that injured 22 Salem High School football players and three staff members two weeks ago, according to findings released as the team returned to the field Friday night.
The crash happened when 74-year-old Walter Hackett failed to properly execute a right turn off the Interstate 20 exit ramp, GSP said. The bus crossed Highway 138, struck a car and overturned, coming to rest in a construction site.
Investigators found no evidence that Hackett was impaired, distracted or speeding, and no mechanical problems were found with the bus. Despite the findings, GSP said Hackett will not face criminal charges. He declined to comment when reached by phone.
The Seminoles played their homecoming game Friday, their first since the wreck, but did so without 16 players still recovering from injuries â nearly a third of the roster, including much of the defense. Only one injured player had been cleared to return.
With so many teammates unavailable, some players took on unfamiliar roles, lining up on both offense and defense. But the night's most powerful moments came from those who could not play. At the end of the first quarter, injured players gathered on the 30-yard line in their jerseys, some standing with the help of crutches, as the school recognized them over the loudspeaker.
"To everyone injured in that accident, especially our football players who are unable to take the field tonight, you are part of this team. You belong here, and you are in our hearts," an announcer said.
The stadium speakers also carried a message of unity: "Always remember we are Salem, we are Seminoles, and we stand together."
The investigation has provided answers about what caused the crash, but the recovery continues for the team and its community. The 22 injured players and three staff members were hospitalized after the rollover, and the school has not said when the remaining players will be cleared to return.