Kids hospitalized in Upper Marlboro crash – Anne Arundel and Prince George MAB Units Respond

By Pamela Brown

More than two dozen students are recovering at a local hospital Monday after three school buses crashed in Upper Marlboro, Md.

The buses had just departed Fredrick Douglas High School and were loaded with students going home when the crash occurred near Route 301 in Marlton, Md.

Police say the incident involving three full school buses happened around 3:45 p.m. As two buses waited at the traffic light at Croom Road, a third bus caused a low speed chain-reaction collision.

Diamond Smith was in the middle bus and felt the jarring jolt from both ends.

“When it hit in the back … we went back. I hit my head in the seat, and my neck jerked,” said Smith.

“I got thrown, and I hit my head. That hurt,” said student Brandy Jackson.

Paramedics treated 75 students at the scene. Thirty-four others were transported to Prince George’s Hospital Center where the triage extended to the outside while parents waited in a separate area.

Officials say all the students were treated for only minor injuries, but the emotional impact is something many students and parents are still coping with.