THOMASVILLE —Grady County Schools officials are breathing sighs of relief after a traffic incident last week.

It occurred by Southside Elementary School at a nearby intersection Wednesday, involving a county school bus and a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis (also carrying students) and a student who was struck while using the crosswalk.

“We are very relieved,” Southside Principal Cheryl Harrison said Monday. “We’re so sorry she was injured and very relieved she is going to be OK. She is back at school today and we are stressing safety to every child in school. There were four more of our students in the car that was struck and they also had some bumps and soreness. We are very relieved our students are going to be OK.”

The Cairo Police Department accident report indicates the school bus, driven by Roy Brock, and the car, driven by Theo Johnson, were both traveling east on Fourth Avenue S.E.

Johnson stopped to turn right onto Fourth Street S.E, allowing juveniles to maneuver the crosswalk on the south side of the street. Brock “failed to see” Johnson stop and struck the vehicle in the rear, causing it to skid forward and strike a pedestrian, a 12-year-old student, who was negotiating the crosswalk.

Harrison was working bus duty on the other side of the school, but said fellow staff members witnessed the incident and ran to help. A teacher from Washington Middle School, who was in traffic, also got out to assist. The juvenile was moved to the side of the road where she was checked for injuries, then transported to Grady General Hospital and examined before being released.

“The procedure for this type of event is for the bus driver to take care of any injuries or confirm there are no injuries to students on the bus and secure the bus to make sure it does not need to be evacuated,” Jerry Cox, director of operations for Grady County Schools, explained Monday. “It is our policy that a driver involved in an accident does not continue the route. The driver and bus are replaced and the route finished. Policy also requires an immediate drug and alcohol test (Brock passed).”

Brock has been a driver for the system less than two years, but Cox stressed he holds the required license/certificates. This is his first accident. Brock was cited with following too close.

“He has been suspended — without pay, pending Grady County Board of Education approval — through May 9, pending the results of an investigation,” Cox said. “We’ll look at the police report and interview witnesses. During this restriction time, it is required he take 12 hours of school bus safety training that has been developed by (GDOE) Pupil Transportation Division. He is also required to drive for six hours under observation from a behind the wheel trainer under my supervision to reinforce his training already received and be sure his driving habits meet the criteria for safe pupil transportation. If he passes the safety training test and observations indicate he is performing safely, he will be reassigned to his route.”

Cox, who took over his position in January, said the system is intensifying and stepping up safety training. He also said he and Superintendent Dr. Tommy Pharis met with all bus drivers the day after the accident to remind them to “please refocus and pay attention” during the last three weeks of school.

“We are stressing safe operations of school buses and driving habits, as well as children behaving on the bus,” he said.

The system will also have a meeting today with first responders and school/board administrators to go over the incident.

“Everyone here is concerned about the safety of all our students,” Harrison stressed. “It is a very congested area and the schools are surrounded by streets. We’ve had staff from our school and others volunteer to help students at the cross walk for the remainder of the school year as an extra safety precaution.”

Pharis said the system was “very lucky” and it will continue to focus on school safety issues every day.