Pickup Truck Hits North Buncombe School Bus, Students Uninjured

A pickup truck crossed the center line on Clark's Chapel Road Wednesday and struck a Buncombe County school bus head-on, sending the truck driver to Mission Hospital while every student on board escaped without injury, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed.

The bus was carrying students from North Buncombe Elementary School when the crash occurred in the North Buncombe area of Buncombe County. Sgt. Robbie Baker of the State Highway Patrol confirmed the truck driver was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville with non-life-threatening injuries. The bus driver was also unharmed.

Buncombe County Schools spokesperson Ken Ulmer credited the emergency response for the outcome. "The district is grateful for the swift actions that helped keep students and staff safe," Ulmer said, adding that parents were notified as the situation unfolded.

The State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash to determine its cause and whether the truck driver will face traffic citations. No criminal charges were reported in the initial stages of the investigation.

Clark's Chapel Road, like many routes threading through the North Buncombe area, features curves and narrow lanes that leave little room for error when a vehicle drifts across the center line. Troopers worked to clear and secure the scene following the collision.

Buncombe County Schools followed its standard student-transportation safety procedures in the aftermath, including family notification. State troopers will produce an official accident report that could result in citations or other enforcement actions against the truck driver, whose name had not been released as of the initial investigation.