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Students describe Weld Co. school bus crash: 'I fell out of my seat and I just started flipping'

27 people were injured when bus flipped
Posted at 4:56 PM, Jul 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-13 20:39:20-04

WELD COUNTY, Colo. -- Students injured in a Weld County school bus crash tried to help their fellow classmates as they escaped through an emergency exit in the roof. 

“I didn’t really know who was hurt because there was just blood everywhere," said Matt Carrillo, who is going into his sophomore year at Greeley Central High School.

Carrillo and his friend, Jose Medina, were released from the hospital but they're still trying to process the crash.

Medina pointed out cuts and bruises on his face while wearing a sling on his right arm. When he got off the bus his arm was covered in blood and he had to get stitches.

"I was sleeping and like everybody started yelling and I was like. 'What’s happening?' And right when I started thinking about that is when we flipped," said Medina, who is entering his sophomore year at Northridge High School.

The teens were sleeping as the bus drove back from a field trip to Elitch Gardens. It crashed about about 30 minutes south of Greeley. The trip was part of a summer school program.

"The bus looked pretty damaged and I don’t know how I didn’t get that hurt," said Carrillo as he showed the scrapes on his back.

Carrillo and Medina said they didn't even realize they were injured because they were too focused on helping others who were hurt.

"I was trying to help my friend that was laying on the floor. Everybody was on top of him and I was trying to get him up so we could get out together but I couldn’t help him," said Medina.

According to the school district, none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. Police believe the driver of the flatbed truck, who is accused of causing the accident, fell asleep behind the wheel.