Car hits 6-year-old boarding school bus, causing life-threatening injuries, NC cops say
A car hit a 6-year-old as he boarded a school bus, leaving him with life-threatening injuries, North Carolina officials said.
State troopers said the school bus was using its flashing lights and stop arm while it sat stationary along a highway on Thursday, March 30. As a child crossed the road to try to get on the bus, a driver coming from the opposite direction is accused of ignoring the warnings and hitting the boy.
Now, the 47-year-old driver of the car faces multiple misdemeanor charges, including “passing a stopped school bus” and “careless and reckless driving.” He also is expected to be charged with felonies due to the seriousness of the boy’s injuries, according to WFMY.
N.C. State Highway Patrol in a news release said the crash happened at about 6:45 a.m. on N.C. Highway 65. It was reported near the intersection with Self Road, in the Stokesdale area and roughly 20 miles northeast of downtown Winston-Salem.
The boy — a Stokesdale Elementary School student — was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with serious injuries, officials said.
“Our son is still on life support and in critical condition,” the child’s family wrote in an April 2 update that Guilford County Schools shared with McClatchy News. “We ask for continued prayers from the community. The prayers are carrying us through each minute and we are so grateful.”
After the incident, Stokesdale Elementary had a crisis team on its campus to provide support to students, according to the school district.
Troopers said they don’t believe impairment contributed to the crash, which closed Highway 65 for several hours.
This story was originally published April 4, 2023 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Car hits 6-year-old boarding school bus, causing life-threatening injuries, NC cops say."
