Children escape serious injuries as school bus overturns

None of the 20 pupils on a bus headed to Roger Bell Elementary were seriously injured Friday morning when the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned on Fisher Town Road in North Harlowe.

All the pupils were taken to Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City or Craven Regional Medical Center in New Bern for observation. The students were checked out by doctors as a precaution and were OK, said Anetta Davenport, the director of public relations for Craven County schools.

The driver said she swerved to miss a dog about 7:30 a.m. in the 200 Block of Fisher Town Road near Blades Road, said 1st Sgt. Kevin Rock of the state Highway Patrol.

"She ran off the road on the right side, came on, ran off again and overturned," Rock said. "It's almost certain she'll be charged with a violation, but we aren't yet sure what that will be."

Rock and Craven County school officials would not disclose the name of the bus driver.

The driver was shaken up but had no injuries, said Becton Broughton, the director of transportation for the school system. Broughton sent another bus to the North Harlowe area to pick up the other children on the route.

No other cars were involved in the accident, Rock said.

Jeremy Brown, chief of the North Harlowe Volunteer Fire Department, said some fluids leaked from the bus, but he said gasoline did not leak.

Brown said 14 ambulances from Beaufort, Cherry Point, Havelock, Mill Creek, Newport, Craven Regional and Carteret General responded to the crash and transported the children.