LINCOLN COUNTY, Tenn. — A Lincoln County school bus was ablaze Monday morning after a crash with an SUV in Park City according to Lieutenant Chris Dye with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Authorities say both vehicles were on fire.
According to Lincoln County School Superintendent Dr. Bill Heath, the bus was on the way to start its route and was turning around when the incident happened around 6:45 a.m.
A state trooper said he was close to the crash when it happened. He says the SUV caught fire first and the trooper emptied his fire extinguisher trying to put it out. Officials say the driver of the SUV had a foot trapped but the trooper was able to pull him out.
EMS took the driver of the SUV to Huntsville Hospital and the bus driver was taken to a Lincoln County hospital according to state troopers.
According to Highland Rim Elementary School, the bus was one of theirs. The school says no students were on board. There is no other information on the cause of the fire or how the crash happened at this time.
As of 9:00 a.m. only one northbound lane is open on HWY 231.