The bus, carrying members of the Salem High football team, overturned around 10:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, in Conyers. According to troopers, the 74-year-old driver lost control while attempting a right turn onto State Route 138 after exiting Interstate 20 eastbound.

The vehicle crossed the highway's southbound and northbound lanes, struck a Kia Soul driven by a 35-year-old Covington man, and then rolled onto the roadside, investigators said.

Twenty-two students and three adults were transported to various hospitals, including one student who was airlifted from the scene. All of the injured had been released by the Sunday afternoon following the crash, according to earlier district statements.

In its findings, the State Patrol said investigators determined "the proximate cause of the collision was driver error." Troopers found no indication that the driver was impaired, distracted or speeding, and no evidence of mechanical problems with the bus. The agency said no criminal charges are expected against the driver.

The crash shook the Salem High community in the days that followed, with students describing a quiet return to campus and family members saying players were still processing the trauma of the rollover. The school's football season continued amid the recovery.

The State Patrol's conclusion closes the primary investigative question in the case, though questions about school bus safety protocols — including route planning and driver training for late-night team travel — remain a subject of community discussion in Rockdale County.