Authorities: 1 Dead in Florida School Bus Crash

At least one person died after a tractor-trailer rear-ended a school bus in a “very serious” accident in north Florida, authorities said.

Both vehicles caught on fire after the Sept. 23 accident. It was unclear if the fatality was a student. About 23 people were aboard the bus, and 17 students have been accounted for, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Pat Riordan said.

The accident occurred on U.S. Highway 301 near 155th Street in Marion County. It was unclear what school the bus had come from.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jimmy Pogue said multiple students were also injured, calling it a “very serious” accident.

Television shots showed the cab of the tractor-trailer had burned completely, while the back of the bus had flame damage.

Earlier this month, a chain-reaction crash southeast of Tallahassee involving a school bus, minivan and cement mixer truck killed an 8-year-old girl and injured seven other children and the van driver.