GAINESVILLE — One person is dead after a Hall County school bus hit a passenger car at Cleveland Highway and Whitmire Circle in northern Hall County.

The fatality was in the passenger car, according to Deputy Fire Chief Chad Black of Hall County Fire Services.

The bus was carrying students from Wauka Mountain Multiple Intelligences Academy, according to Gordon Higgins, spokesman for the Hall County School District.

Six children were being taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

Students at the scene were visibly shaken up.

After the bus didn’t show up on time to drop children off, parents called the school system and many came to pick up their children, according to those at the scene. Others were being loaded on another bus.

Ellen Williams came to pick up her 6-year-old nephew.

“Obviously it’s a very big shock,” she said of the incident.

Her nephew hit his face on the window and was a little bruised but heading home.

Cleveland Highway is still shut down in both directions from Nopone Road past Whitmire Circle.