Four people were killed in a tragic bus accident on a North Carolina highway earlier this month. The bus was carrying a South Carolina junior college football team and some of their family members when a tire blew out, according to a North Carolina State Trooper. Officials say a child was among the fatalities as well as the bus driver and two football players. The 43-year-old bus driver, a 21-year-old male, a 19-year-old male, and a 10-year-old boy, were those killed in the crash according to authorities. Troopers say two of the victims were ejected from the bus and died at the scene. The other two were extracted from the bus but later died at the hospital.
According to the state troopers, the bus’ front tire blew out at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday on U.S. Highway 74 near Hamlet. The bus veered into a guardrail, and then a concrete bridge column reported the Highway Patrol Lieutenant. A picture of the wreck shows almost all of the metal torn off the left side, and the front left third of the bus ripped open. Two investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are being sent to investigate the tires on the bus, according to an agency spokesman. A full investigation of the bus crash has not yet been announced. The crash occurred about 70 miles southeast of Charlotte. A report by a special accident reconstruction team will likely take weeks.
The two football players killed were trying to continue their playing careers according to the families. State Troopers say the bus was carrying primarily players on a team from Clinton College in Rock Hill, ages 18 to 24. Clinton College canceled classes the following Monday and arranged for grief counselors to help students.
If you have been involved in a tragic bus accident, please contact a St. Louis traffic accident specialist at Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC.