At least 15 students were injured and a man is fighting for his life following a crash involving a school bus, car and dump truck in North Carolina on Wednesday morning.
Paramedics at the scene in Charlotte confirmed that 15 of the 17 injured were students from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and one of the drivers had sustained life-threatening injuries, WSOC reported.
The school bus was carrying 40 students when the crash occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Sharonbrook Drive, Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency (MEDIC) officials said.
The bus driver and dump truck driver were trapped inside their vehicles after the crash but were freed by the Charlotte Fire Department.
It was not immediately clear which one of the drivers sustained life-threatening injuries.
CMS officials said they had sent a message to South Mecklenburg High School families informing them of the crash and the students’ conditions.
The statement from school Principal Mar Angerer reads: ‘This morning, bus number 222 was involved in a crash with two other vehicles.
‘Fifteen of our students were on the bus. Fourteen 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.’
ngie Washington, who lives in the area, told WRAL she was in her home when she heard a loud boom followed by the screams of school children.
‘I saw all the children getting out the back of the bus and I ran down here,’ she said. ‘Kids were crying, they were a little hysterical.’
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officials said it was unlikely anyone would face charges following a preliminary investigation.