Medic: 17 hurt in crash involving school bus in south Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Multiple injuries were reported in a south Charlotte crash involving a school bus Wednesday morning.

The crash happened on Sharonbrook Drive near Sharon Road West.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the bus was heading to South Mecklenburg High School when two vehicles hit it.

District officials said 15 students were on the bus at the time of the crash.

Medic said there were three vehicles involved in the crash and 17 patients. One person had life-threatening injuries, while one other person had serious injuries.

According to Medic, the 15 students had minor injuries. First responders added that of those, one student refused transport to the hospital, while nine were taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and five went to Novant Health Presbyterian for treatment.

The two adults were taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Medic added.

CMS officials said the following message was going to South Mecklenburg High families:

Good morning South Mecklenburg families. This is Principal Angerer with an important message. When something occurs that involves our students, I want to keep you informed and provide you with accurate information. This morning, bus number 222 was involved in a crash with two other vehicles.

15 of our students were on the bus. 14 students were taken to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution and parents of those students were contacted. The bus driver was also injured.

I want to assure you that we take the safety of your children very seriously.

Kenny Phillips, Medic operations supervisor, said the crash, which involved the bus, a small dump truck and another car, happened around 6:30 a.m. The students had low-priority injuries and were taken from the scene by the mass casualty bus, he added.

According to Phillips, the crash caused the driver of the bus and the driver of the dump truck to be pinned in their vehicles.

CFD Capt. Michael Gerin said first responders encountered problems due to the amount of damage to the cars and it took 40 minutes to free the bus driver and about an hour to free the dump truck driver. He added that the jaws of life were used and that both drivers were conscious and stable.

Neighbors told WBTV they are concerned about speeding drivers along the curve of Sharon Rd. West. They say this is not the first incident in this stretch of the road.

A spokesperson for CDOT told WBTV: “We are working on compiling crash data for the site of the crash. CDOT Traffic Safety engineers will evaluate the crash data for any patterns.”

“I am saddened like everyone about the accident that occurred this morning. My thoughts are with all those involved, the driver, the students, and their families. I know that the South Meck community is rallying around these individuals as they recover from this traumatic event,” CMS District 5 Board Member Margaret Marshall told WBTV.

By 9 a.m., cleanup had begun on Sharon Road West and the road reopened shortly before 11 a.m.

According to the crash report, the driver of the dump truck fell asleep at the wheel. The truck crossed left of the center line and hit the sedan at an angle before then hitting the school bus head-on.

The bus then went off the right side of the road and a metal fence.

Check back with WBTV for updates as they come in.

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