APD: Man was street racing when he crashed into school bus, flipping it over

By Nancy Laflin

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — From Sky 7, you can see it all.

Something that looked surreal — an Albuquerque Public School bus on its side with 23 students inside.

APD said seven kids were taken to the hospital to be looked over.

Two had serious injuries to their legs and one had a fractured pelvis.

“As a parent, that would be my worst nightmare if your kid was in an accident on the bus,” Jennifer Esquerra said.

The students were from George Sanchez Collaborative Community School.

Esquerra said her son attends the school. He wasn’t on that bus. As she passed the crash site Thursday, she said she was very thankful.

“My heart goes out to those parents who were affected by this tragic and senseless accident,” she said.

Albuquerque Police said 49-year-old Mario Perez was street racing in his white Ford Mustang, racing a blue mustang up Gibson at more than 100 mph when he slammed into the back wheel of the bus causing it to flip on its side.

School officials said there was a camera inside the bus. They said they turned the camera over to APD for the investigation.

Police said witnesses told them the blue Mustang kept on going after the crash.

Perez was injured. APD said he’s at UNMH with a broken femur.

After he recovers, he’ll be booked at MDC and faces charges of great bodily harm by vehicle.

Police said they are still looking for the driver of the blue Mustang.

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