A mother, her four children and a local schoolteacher were taken to area hospitals following a four-car wreck this afternoon on U.S. 27, according to Floyd County police.

According to officer Kim Stratton:

A school bus was stopped in the outside southbound lane of Martha Berry Highway close to Mr. D’s Restaurant around 4 p.m. Friday when a red Chevy Silverado ran into the back of a silver Honda car and caused a chain reaction that damaged two other vehicles.

The Honda hit the back of a black Toyota Avalon, which in turn hit a white Ford F-150.

The driver of the silver car, Ashley Flagello, 36, was taken to Redmond Regional Medical Center with severe neck and back injuries while the mother and four children were taken to Floyd Medical Center with minor injuries.

The two occupants in the Ford truck and the 16-year-old driver of the Silverado were uninjured.

Stratton said the driver of the Silverado was distracted just before hitting the Honda. He was cited with following too closely.