A Rockdale County school bus carrying the Salem High School football team overturned late Friday night, October 23, 2026, in Conyers, resulting in injuries to at least 12 people and a massive emergency mobilization. The crash, which occurred on Highway 138 near Interstate 20, forced authorities to shut down the major corridor as rescue crews worked to extract passengers from the wreckage.
The Rockdale County School District confirmed that 27 people were on board the bus at the time of the accident. The passenger list included 17 football players, seven athletic trainers, two coaches, and the driver. The team was traveling home following a Friday night game when the vehicle veered off the road and flipped onto its side.
The physical state of the vehicle indicated a severe impact. Emergency responders found the bus resting in a ditch against a construction barrier along Old Salem Road. The wreck left the school bus with a shattered windshield, significant damage to the front end, and a roof that had partially collapsed under the weight of the vehicle.
Of the 12 individuals reported injured, the severity of the wounds varied among the students and staff. First responders confirmed that one trainer was in critical enough condition to require an airlift to a regional medical facility. Other injured students and staff members were transported by ground ambulances to several hospitals across the area. The scale of the accident was significant enough that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital was placed on standby to prepare for a possible mass casualty event immediately following the reports of the overturn.
Salem High School head coach Fredrick Green was among those on the bus who survived the crash. Officials indicated that Green was doing okay following the accident and spent the late-night hours coordinating with district leaders to track which medical facilities were treating the various team members.
While the injured were being processed and transported, emergency workers established a reunification point in a commercial parking lot adjacent to the crash site. Secondary buses were brought in to stage uninjured students, providing a safe location for them to contact their families and arrange for transport home.
Traffic in the area remained paralyzed for several hours as a heavy wrecker was brought to the scene to hoist the bus from the embankment. Authorities from Rockdale County are currently leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, which remains undetermined. District officials and the superintendent have stated they will release further updates as investigators conclude their assessment of the wreckage and the conditions at the time of the accident.
