Students recovering after school bus overturns into a yard in Polk County
By Samiar Nefzi
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POLK COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Polk County School students are recovering after a bus accident off Howard Gap Road on Wednesday evening.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Bus 133 was involved in a single-car collision on Howard Gap Road in the Saluda community around 4:15 p.m.
According to North Carolina Highway Patrol, 20 students were on board, five students were transported to Pardee and Saint Luke’s hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
“It shakes up anybody that’s been involved,” Polk County Schools Superintendent Aaron Greene said.
Greene said he was at the hospital with students waiting on injury reports.
“Now, a broken arm or extended shoulder can be serious,” Greene said. “But, in terms of life-threatening injuries, I’m not aware of anything in that particular vain.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook about the crash while parents were reuniting with students.
“Anytime this happens, kids and parents are shaken up,” Greene explained. “That’s the last phone call you want to get is that your child has been in an accident.”
The identity of the bus driver has not been released, but News 13 has learned from Highway Patrol that the driver was cited for failure to maintain lane control.
The crash remains under investigation.
Polk County Schools issued the following statement:
There was an accident involving Polk County Schools bus 133 in Saluda this afternoon. The bus traveled off the side of the road, down a bank, and rolled onto its side. There were 21 students on the bus at the time of the accident, and several students were transported to local hospitals for evaluation. All have been treated and released to their families. No further details about the accident are confirmed at this time, but a thorough investigation will be conducted in cooperation with the NC Highway Patrol. We want to thank the many EMS workers, first responders, firefighters, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and others who arrived quickly to the scene to assist. Polk County Schools will continue to check on the students who were involved in the accident and offer support to them and their families. Questions about the accident should be directed to Superintendent Aaron Greene.”
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