GONZALES – A handful of elementary school students escaped a scary situation Tuesday when their bus ended up in a canal in Ascension Parish.

An eyewitness told WBRZ, the bus ran off Coon Trap Road where it becomes W New River Street along the New River. The area features a deep curve in the highway west of Airline.

“[The] driver was hysterical and pretty shaken up,” the eyewitness said. She added, all the kids were safe.

Pictures shared with WBRZ showed the bus nose-down in the canal.  The emergency door at the rear of the bus was open, possibly as an escape route for those inside the vehicle when it crashed. 

The Ascension Parish School System said the bus was for students at G.W. Carver Primary. A spokesperson said there were no major injuries, but the bus driver, aide and four students were transported to the hospital as a precaution. 

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