‘Mum, We’ve Crashed’: 12-Year-Old Boy Recounts Harrowing Bus Accident
Dylan Lee, a 12-year-old schoolboy, clung tightly to his phone as the bus he was on swerved off the road and overturned, according to the Daily Mail. In a moment of fear and confusion, he called his mum to assure her that he was safe. “It was very scary,” he later recounted, describing the terrifying events that unfolded.
The incident occurred yesterday afternoon as a bus carrying students from Strangford College veered off the road and overturned near Carrowdore, Northern Ireland, sparking a major emergency response. The crash left several students injured, with four individuals being transported to the hospital.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Dylan described the moment the accident happened. “It was very scary and noisy. I heard the bang and felt the bus hit something, and then it started swerving on the road. Everyone was screaming and crying, and then the bus started to lean over and just fell on its side into a field.”
Dylan believes he may have lost consciousness briefly during the crash. “I think I was unconscious for a second, but then it all went clear. I could hear crying. I was on the floor sideways and started to climb out—there were school bags all over the place, and I crawled under them and managed to get out. I lost my shoe.”
Despite the chaos, Dylan held tightly onto his phone and called his mum, Stacey. He recalled how he told her about the crash, and she could only cry and ask if he was okay. “It was really scary, and I’m very glad I’m okay. I hope everyone else is okay too,” Dylan added.
Stacey, Dylan’s mother, rushed to the scene after receiving her son’s call. She expressed the sheer panic she felt when she heard Dylan’s voice on the other end of the line. “All I could hear was screaming and shouting. Dylan was shouting, ‘Mum, we’ve crashed, the bus has crashed. I’m alright, I’m alive.’” The Newtownards mum, with the help of a friend, drove to Ballyblack Road East where she was reunited with her son.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued an update on the incident, confirming that the crash happened at 3:50 pm on Monday, 7th October. The statement detailed how an Ulsterbus carrying Strangford College pupils overturned, prompting the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to declare a major incident. Firefighters and police rushed to the scene, using specialist equipment to rescue two individuals trapped in the bus and assisting medical personnel in treating others.
A casualty center was set up temporarily at the school, with all students eventually being either taken home by their parents or transported to the hospital. NIAS reported that 33 people were treated and discharged at the scene, while four children were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Several others self-presented at the Ulster Hospital.
The Ballyblack Road remains closed as police conduct an investigation into the crash. Authorities are working closely with the school to provide support for the children impacted by the traumatic event.