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Pasco motorist killed in accident with school bus

At least 12 students are hurt after pickup runs a stop sign and slams into the bus, sending it on its side.

ZEPHYRHILLS - At least a dozen elementary school pupils were injured today when a pickup truck apparently ran a stop sign and crashed into their school bus, causing it to overturn, authorities said.

The truck driver, in her 40s, was driving south on Allen Road while the school bus was headed west on Chancey Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Witnesses said that the truck driver was speeding at around 60-70 mph and failed to stop at the stop sign before slamming into the side of the bus at Chancey and Allen.

The bus spun counterclockwise and was turned onto its passenger side. The truck driver was killed and her teenage passenger critically injured.

Three children were taken by helicopter to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. A hospital spokeswoman said two of the children do not have life-threatening injuries and a third is being evaluated.

A fourth child was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital but the child's condition was not immediately known, a spokeswoman said.

Ten other children, some with cuts and bruises, were taken by ambulance to other hospitals, the FHP said.

The bus, which was three stops short of its destination, Chester Taylor Elementary School, carried 32 children from kindergarten to Grade 5.

Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Sterling King described a chaotic scene as word of the crash spread through the area and parents rushed to the scene to find their children. He said parents ran through out the crash scene and some mothers were screaming until they found their children.

Passers-by helped pull some of the children from the bus.

King said the scene was under control, though, within minutes as the most seriously injured children were evacuated and parents were reunited with those who were not injured.