School bus crash with suspected stolen car on Mt. Gilead Rd

The bus driver and students were not hurt, an APS spokesperson said.

ATLANTA — An 18-year-old is critically hurt after an exchange of gunfire with troopers Monday, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

It all started when a suspected stolen vehicle hit a school bus during a chase with law enforcement, according to a spokesperson with the Atlanta Public Schools District.

Georgia State Patrol said troopers tried to conduct a traffic stop on Campbellton Road at Greenbriar Road in Fulton County Monday around 3:10 p.m. The driver refused to stop, which launched the chase.

The driver crashed into a school bus near Mt. Gilead Road, an APS spokesperson said, adding the bus driver and the students were not hurt. 

GSP said shots were fired after the crash. The GBI said it was requested to respond to the scene by GSP.

In an update, the GBI said the 18-year-old was shot and has serious injuries. No troopers were hurt in the incident, according to the GBI. 

"Multiple people got out of the stolen vehicle and ran away," the GBI said. 

As troopers chased an 18-year-old, the GBI said he fired a handgun at troopers several times and they returned fire. The 18-year-old continued to lead troopers on a chase through a neighborhood and that's when the GBI said he tried to break into two homes in the area.

The GBI said troopers were eventually able to take the 18-year-old into custody without further incident. Once in custody, the GBI said troopers saw he had gunshot wounds and he was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. 

The GBI is still conducting its independent investigation.

Demetrius Hudson works at an auto shop nearby. He described what he saw.

"Some young dudes had [taken] the police on a chase, tried to run through the light, ran into a bus," Hudson said.

Hudson said he ran outside and saw the bus on the sidewalk. He and others jumped into action.

"It was leaking [badly]. And it was smoking," Hudson said. "And he had like, three to five kids on the bus. We telling the dude, 'Being that it's smoking, you've got to get them kids off that bus.'"

Surveillance video from a convenience store on Mt. Gilead shows what led up to the crash. First, you see a school bus pass the gas station. Moments later, you see a young man backing up in shock. Next, a few troopers pull up.

"The police had the dudes who were driving the car at gunpoint," Hudson said.

Then, at least one person runs with law enforcement running behind them. Hudson said there's a lake in the back of the woods off of Mt. Gilead. He said he saw the suspect(s) run that way. 

After that, Clarence Mathis heard shots.

"I was on the inside of a restaurant," Mathis said. "I heard gunshots and [saw] where the officers had run a car off the road."

Mathis said he heard over a dozen rounds while working at Atlanta Meat and Fish Market. The restaurant faces the direction where surveillance shows the suspect or suspects trying to get away.

"Everybody went outside to see what was going on," Mathis said.

Hudson said he couldn't believe what he saw.

"You'll probably see a car accident or something, but nothing like this," Hudson said.

 The community that watched it all happen is ready for things to get back to normal.

"Try to find and come to justice," Hudson said. "Get this solved and let us go about our day."

The 11Alive SkyTracker flew over the scene at the intersection by Campbellton Road where a school bus was off the road.

A replacement bus helped pick up the students. Parents were advised that they are allowed to pick up their child if they choose to instead.

This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.

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