More than two dozen schoolchildren and their route taxi driver were injured on Monday morning when the ZR overturned outside Lester Vaughan School in St Thomas, triggering a full-scale mass casualty response.
Shortly before 9 a.m., the ZR was travelling along Cane Garden Road towards Bridgetown when the driver reportedly lost control, overturning just outside the school compound.
Police spokesman Inspector Ryan Brathwaite said 26 people were injured – 25 schoolchildren and the driver – in the crash that sent emergency crews rushing to the scene.
“Police responded to an accident with injury along Cane Garden Road at 8:55 a.m. on Monday,” Inspector Brathwaite confirmed.
“Our initial investigations have shown that a route taxi was travelling towards Bridgetown when the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned. As a result, 26 persons who were on board that vehicle complained of injuries.”
He told reporters that while none of the injuries was life-threatening, the scale of the incident triggered a full mass casualty response involving six ambulances, two doctors, two nurses, two emergency room technicians, and 25 officers from the Barbados Defence Force including medical personnel.
As the injured were treated at the scene, 23 were taken to the fast-track clinic at the Winston Scott Polyclinic while three were transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Accident and Emergency Department.
The injured ranged in age from 11 to 31. Within minutes, sirens echoed through the quiet community as soldiers, medics, and fire officers converged on the scene.
The sight of the overturned ZR, shattered glass, and blood on the ground left many students shaken. Several bystanders fainted or suffered panic attacks and also had to be treated by emergency personnel, said eyewitnesses.
A teacher, who rushed to the scene, described the morning as “overwhelming”.
“There was blood everywhere,” she said. “Many of the students involved were full of blood, and thankfully neighbours came out with clothes that could help secure the wounds until ambulances came. I was scared, to be honest.”
The incident led the school to dismiss classes early to allow for counselling and trauma support. Ministry officials and counsellors were on hand to meet with students, teachers, and parents.
Parent Tonya McCollin, whose 13-year-old son was among those injured, said she was shaken by the news.
“I don’t feel good about it because at the end of the day you supposed to bring the children to school and you come all the way around and you swerving and thing, so I don’t like it at all,” she said. “I was told my son was in the accident. I just come from work and to see all these ambulances, it’s frightening.”
Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman, who visited the scene, expressed relief that there was no loss of life but said the tragedy underscored the need for the government to review how students engage with private public service vehicles and for greater responsibility across the industry.
“It cannot be that our children are not safe when they ought to be,” he said. “When you look at what happened there you can see that the speed at which the driver was driving is one for concern. The time has passed where we must look at how our students engage with public service vehicles in Barbados.”
While not announcing any immediate policy, Blackman said he intends to meet with the Ministry of Transport and Works and the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) to discuss measures to ensure student safety.
“Drivers of public service vehicles, you have a responsibility,” he said. “Acts like this can derail all that we are trying to achieve in transforming education. This is not to prejudice the police investigation, but I am deeply concerned. If we have to review how our students engage with public vehicles, then that’s a conversation I’m ready to have because we have to protect the future.”
The minister also confirmed that the school was given permission to close early to facilitate counselling.
Inspector Brathwaite appealed to PSV drivers to exercise greater care.
“You have the lives of persons basically in your hands and you must be responsible,” he said. “You must abide by the laws of the road. Drive with the necessary care and attention. If we continue along this line it will be detrimental to our students and other persons using the road.”
The driver was taken into custody for questioning as investigations continue, the police spokesman said.
Police confirmed that the ZR had been operating off-route.
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