A school bus crash in Buncombe County, North Carolina, left no students injured on Thursday, according to officials. The incident occurred at Buckeye Cove Road near US 70, with 14 students on board, officials confirmed.
The crash involved a school bus carrying students from Charles D. Owen Middle and High School, according to Buncombe County Chief Communications Officer Ken Ulmer. No students were hurt, though a driver in a Mustang was taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) reported. Ulmer said school administrators notified families and arranged for another bus to transport the students home. We are grateful to our bus driver for keeping students safe, and for the rapid response of first responders,
Ulmer said in an email.
Diverging Details Across Sources
That crash involved a black Jeep Wrangler rear-ending a stopped bus carrying 27 students on Keen Road near N.C. 96. The Jeep was carrying a female driver and her two daughters. Nobody involved in the crash was injured, Highway Patrol said. Troopers cited the Jeep driver for failure to reduce speed, but no injuries were reported.
Fatal Crash in Buncombe County
A third report from DavisLawGroupNC.com detailed a fatal crash in Buncombe County involving 18-year-old Chance Brown, a North Buncombe High School senior. The incident occurred on I-240 near Charlotte Street, where Brown overcorrected her vehicle to avoid a collision, leading to a crash into a tree. She died at the scene, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The NHTSA recommends drivers familiarize themselves with proper maneuvering to avoid a potentially injury-causing or deadly overcorrection rollover crash. If your car leaves the roadway, always reduce your speed gradually. It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t make any sudden steering movements. It’s safer to slow down and gently ease your car back to the road when it is safe to do so. Automobiles with a higher center of gravity, like Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV’s), are at an increased risk for rollover in the event of an overcorrection. Additionally, any roadways with narrow shoulders or soft soil can also put drivers at high risk for rollover during an overcorrection.
The assistance principal at North Buncombe High has stated that counselors will be made available to students this week. The whole team at Davis Law Group, P.A. sends their deepest heartfelt condolences to the family members, friends, classmates and teammates of Chance Brown. Authorities have not yet determined if the other driver in Brown’s crash was in his or her lane at the time of the crash or if any citations have been made, and the NHTSA’s guidance on safe driving practices remains a key takeaway for drivers.
What Remains Uncertain
The fatal crash in Buncombe County resulted in one death, with the cause still under investigation.
Officials with the Asheville Police Department report that Brown overcorrected her car to avoid hitting another vehicle on the roadway. Her car then crashed into a tree, and she died on the scene. At this time, there’s no word on whether or not the other driver was in his or her lane at the time of the crash or if any citations have been made. The Dangers of Overcorrecting a Vehicle, as described in the DavisLawGroupNC.com article, highlights the risks associated with sudden steering movements, particularly for vehicles with a higher center of gravity.
The NHTSA’s tips for safe driving include reducing speed gradually when leaving the roadway and avoiding sudden steering. These recommendations are especially relevant for drivers of SUVs and on roadways with narrow shoulders or soft soil. The article also notes that hazardous drivers on the road can make it more difficult to avoid sudden movements, emphasizing the need for vigilance and adherence to safe driving practices.
