Rutherford County School Bus Driver Charged After First-Day Crash

A Rutherford County Schools bus driver is no longer behind the wheel after being involved in a crash on the first day of school, officials confirmed.

The accident happened on Tuesday, August 12, at around 7:08 a.m. when a school bus collided with a white Ford F-150 pickup truck in Ellenboro. According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at the intersection of New House Road and Gene Davis Road.

An incident report stated that the driver of Bus No. 70 failed to yield the right of way while making a left turn onto New House Road, leading to the collision with the Ford truck.

The truck’s driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to a medical center in Shelby for treatment. None of the four passengers on the school bus were injured.

Highway Patrol announced Wednesday that the bus driver has been charged with failure to yield. Rutherford County Schools confirmed the individual is no longer driving a bus for the district.