Lake Butler, Fla. – Seven children from a single household were killed Wednesday in a fiery crash after their car was crushed between a truck and a stopped school bus in rural northern Florida.
The children – ranging in age from 21 months to 15 years, with a teenager behind the wheel illegally – were headed toward their home near the crash site. The truck hit them from behind, pushing their car into the bus and causing the car to burst into flames, police said.
“It’s just a mangled, charred mess,” said Lt. Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Everyone in the car was killed.
It was unclear why the children were riding alone. Burroughs identified the mother as Barbara Mann.
Evidence from the scene showed that the truck, which was carrying bottled water, did not brake before hitting the car on the two-lane road.
The bus ended up 200 feet from where the car struck it, and the truck’s cab lay overturned near the scene, Burroughs said. The bus was at an approved bus stop, although it was not immediately clear whether children were getting on or off.
Nine students were on the bus, and three were thrown from the vehicle. State police said three were seriously hurt and six others had minor injuries.
The drivers of the bus and the truck were taken to hospitals. Trucker Alvin Wilkerson, 31, suffered minor injuries, and authorities planned to interview him. The bus driver, Lillie Mae Perry, was thrown from the vehicle; her condition was not immediately known.
The car was driven by 15-year-old Nicki Mann, who was with siblings Elizabeth Mann, 15; Johnny Mann, 13; Heaven Mann, 3; Ashley Kenn, 13; Miranda Finn, 8 or 9 years old; and Anthony Lamb, almost 2 years old. All of the children were adopted, except Lamb, who was in the process of being adopted, Burroughs said.
