A Harlan County school bus crashed off KY38 Tuesday morning at Evarts. After going over a steep embankment and coming to rest near the river, the driver of the bus, Elmer Wynn, 54, of Evarts, was taken by ambulance to the Harlan ARH Hospital. He reported he “blacked out.” No children were on the bus at the time of the crash.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Jared Boggs said a 1999 International school bus, operated by Wynn, went over an embankment at approximately 9 a.m. taking out a TV line and coming to rest after severing a tree. Boggs said no other vehicles were involved in the crash.

After talking with Wynn, Boggs reported Wynn told him he “blacked out due to high blood pressure.” He said Wynn is still hospitalized at Harlan ARH Hospital where he is complaining of back injuries.

“I received a call from Evarts Elementary School telling me they had a report of a school bus over a hill down by the river on KY 38,” said Harlan County Schools Director of Transportation Joan Anderson. “I immediately called a mechanic in the Evarts area to go and check on the situation. He called me back and reported the bus was over the hill. The driver was outside the bus laying on the ground, but conscious. We didn’t know the extent of his injuries at that time. After the driver was transported by ambulance to the hospital, he said he passed out and didn’t remember anything until the bus came to a rest. He said a passerby came down to the bus, opened the door, and got him off the bus and laid him on the ground. I’ve been to the hospital twice today to check on Mr. Wynn and he has been admitted to the hospital. They have done X-rays and tests, but no results have been issued to us at this time.”

Anderson said the bus was towed to the school’s bus garage and “it hasn’t been checked out completely yet.” She said her mechanic did tell her he was pretty sure the bus is totalled.

“The driver was coming from his home, he had delivered children to the Evarts Elementary School earlier in the morning, and was scheduled later in the day to bring his bus in for routine service. He was en route for that scheduled service at the time of the accident,” Anderson said.

KSP Det. Mike Cornett, LifeCare Ambulance Service, Evarts Police Department, Evarts Fire Department and the Harlan County Sheriff’s Office assisted Boggs.

Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510 or at nsizemore@heartlandpublications.com