Five buses crash on way to band competition, injuring high schoolers, Louisiana cops say
Multiple high school students were hurt in a “major” crash involving five school buses and a truck pulling a band trailer, Louisiana police told news outlets.
The Chalmette High School band and dance team were heading to a competition Tuesday, Nov. 5, when a bus rear-ended the bus ahead of it, causing a chain reaction with the other buses, WWL-TV reported, citing the Lafayette Police Department.
It happened at about 12:45 p.m. on Interstate 10 West, near Lafayette, police said.
Six students were taken to a hospital and treated for “minor to moderate injuries,” Sgt. Robin Green said in a news release obtained by McClatchy News. St. Bernard Parish Public Schools said as many as nine students were treated and released, KPLC reported.
McClatchy News reached out to the school district for comment Wednesday, Nov. 6, and was awaiting a response.
Officials said the students were on their way to compete in a marching band competition at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, WVUE reported.
The inaugural Louisiana State Marching Band Championship will host 69 high school bands and 6,500 student performers from across the Pelican State, according to the Louisiana Radio Network.
The competition runs Nov. 4-6.
LaFayette is about a 60-mile drive southwest from Baton Rouge.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 8:08 AM with the headline "Five buses crash on way to band competition, injuring high schoolers, Louisiana cops say."