Two buses were involved in a wreck on Interstate 30 near Exit 135 on Friday afternoon. The accident injured two people and disrupted traffic in all westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes for several hours, authorities said.
Arkansas State Police troopers responding to a call shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday found two school buses involved in a wreck, State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said.
One bus had been towing the other westbound when one of them lost control and crashed into the eastbound lane, striking a utility truck or van in that lane. It was not clear which bus had gone into the other lane, Sadler said.
There was a driver in each bus, and the driver of the crashed bus was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, Sadler said. The driver of the utility vehicle was also injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Recovery crews cleared the crash scene, and traffic was starting to flow normally again by 5 p.m., Sadler said.
The buses were not associated with either the Little Rock School District or the Pulaski County Special School District, Sadler said, and seemed to belong to a private transportation service.
No children were on the bus at the time of the wreck, Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Parker said at 3 p.m. Friday.
At least one of the buses was marked "Durham School District," Sadler said. However, that bus could not have belonged to the Durham township in Washington County, because that community is not big enough to have its own school district.
-- Grant Lancaster
3:11 p.m.: School bus crashes on I-30 in Little Rock; no children on board
A school bus crashed Friday afternoon on Interstate 30 in Little Rock.
A traffic camera showed the bus on its side on I-30 near Exit 135 shortly before 3 p.m. According to a report from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the wreck closed all westbound lanes of traffic. Another crash caused two eastbound lanes, authorities said.
No children were on the bus at the time of the wreck, and it was not clear if the incident in the eastbound lane was related, Arkansas Department of Transportation spokesman Dave Parker said at 3 p.m. Friday.
Little Rock Police Department spokesman Mark Edwards could not immediately be reached for comment.
See the idrivearkansas.com traffic map for the latest traffic information and check back for more updates.
⚠️Heavy backup on I-30 westbound caused by school bus accident. There were no children on board the bus. ⚠️
— Arkansas Department of Transportation (@myARDOT) January 21, 2022
Some eastbound lanes closed as well. Avoid area altogether if possible. pic.twitter.com/9PKAeulLeB