Natalie Neysa Alund, and Jake Lowary

The Tennessean

Nearly two dozen Chester County Beta Club students on their way to a convention at Gaylord Opryland were injured Friday morning in a crash after a school bus flipped on Interstate 65 in Nashville.

Three were deemed critical injuries, according to Brian Haas, spokesman for Nashville Fire Department. Two of the most serious injuries were to arms of students in the bus. The third was a student who suffered a broken collarbone, Haas said.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, he said.

"When we first got here, it was seven injured, then 10 injured and the number just kept going up," Haas said.

Haas praised area hospitals, which quickly freed bed space for the students.

School officials said Friday evening that most of the students had returned to Chester County and the injured students were with their parents.

Troy Kilzer, director of Chester County Schools, said the bus that crashed had juniors and seniors on board the trailing bus was filled with sophomores.

'Every parent's worst nightmare'

Haas said many firefighters and police who respond to crashes around the metro area have kids, and scenes like Friday's are especially alarming.

"It's every parent's worst nightmare," Haas said.

"When you've got a school bus possibly full of kids ... we kick into another level of response time.

Kilzer said the school system was glad the crash wasn't worse.

“We are very blessed that the Lord has taken care of us and provided the protection we needed," Kilzer said.

Haas said it was a "frantic, frantic response," but all emergency officials involved with the response were controlled, and that level of calm helped ensure safety and prompt treatment, Haas said.

Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said the students who were in a second bus not involved in the crash were dealing with the trauma fairly well.

"I think we all would be emotional, and I think I can certainly say that's true for these students, some more than others," Aaron said.

Crash details

The crash took place about 10:45 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the Briley Parkway exit as three Chester County School District buses were making their way to Opryland, Aaron said.

“The first bus driver lost control of the vehicle, the bus went to the left side of the exit ramp, she over corrected back to the right and the bus struck a guardrail and overturned," Aaron said at the scene.

Aaron said 46 people were on the flipped bus: 43 students, two chaperones and the driver. He said the other two buses were not involved in the crash.

Haas said 23 students were taken by both ambulance and school bus to Skyline Medical Center, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated for various injuries.

Aaron said the bus itself is "relatively new," less than a year old. Other officers at the scene said it had been driven 500 miles since its last inspection.

The driver, Christina Mathis, 28, of Henderson, who was not hurt, told officers at the scene that she felt steering issues with the bus and wind blowing it, according to Aaron.

Aaron said THP would be investigating the bus itself more.

"The highway patrol is particularly interested in the mechanical condition of the bus," Aaron said.

Kilzer said returning students were offered counseling at the precinct and counseling will available at school if guidance counselors think necessary.

More than 100 students from Henderson, Tenn. were traveling in the buses to a two-day convention of the Beta Club, a national organization dedicated to promoting “academic achievement, character, service and leadership among elementary and secondary schools students,” according to the organization's website.

The convention at the Gaylord Opryland is scheduled to get underway Friday afternoon with students from more than three dozen high schools, according to an agenda posted online.

Just before noon, dozens of uninjured students were taken to the Metro police East Precinct. At least a dozen police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol patrol vehicles were on scene investigating.

After the crash, the bus could be seen laying on its right side facing northeast with its back door and roof hatches open.

Pictures posted on social media showed what appeared to be several people pulling students from the roof of the bus.

About 500 feet behind the flipped bus, the other school buses could be seen stopped in the northbound lanes.

The crash shut down at least one northbound lane until shortly before 3 p.m., according to dispatch.

Anita Wadhwani and Jason Gonzales contributed to this report. Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at 615-259-8072 and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund. Reach Jake Lowary at 615-881-7039 or on Twitter at @JakeLowary.