Students headed towards Carowinds field trip injured in Gastonia bus collision on I-85

Matthew Memrick
·1 min read
3

GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Several children were injured in a wreck on I-85 in Gastonia involving two South Carolina school charter buses late Friday morning.

South Carolina’s Pickens County School District confirmed the buses were from its district and were occupied by 85 students from Gettys Middle School and included 6th-grade band students with 21 chaperones who were headed to Carowinds on a field trip.

Gaston Emergency Medical Services reported that two charter buses collided near Exit 19 and one bus had 50 kids on it with five injured and the other had 51 kids with three injured, all with minor injuries.

Police said the driver of one of the buses that crashed into the woods was transported to the hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. The district later said the driver was not a school employee. The District later said the five students were complaining of soreness and were transported to an area medical center alongside a teacher.

One lane was closed and Gaston Emergency Medical Services and fire trucks were at the scene.

District officials said more buses were headed to the scene to pick up the rest of the students.

Queen City News has a crew on scene and is working to learn more details.

The district also sent us the following statement.

The accident involved one charter bus colliding with the second bus. The accident occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m. There were 85 students and 21 chaperones on the buses. 106 total riders.

Emergency medical teams arrived and assisted individuals as needed. After assessing all the individuals, five students and one driver were transported for further medical attention or to be assessed for minor injuries.  

We have notified parents and guardians of students involved in the accident. 

We are relieved that there were no serious injuries and we are thankful for the prompt response of the Gaston County Emergency Services and law enforcement. 

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.