PENDER COUNTY — A driver and 24 students were on board a Pender County school bus involved in an accident on Highway 53 Tuesday morning. Though students and staff did not sustain injuries, the driver of the car that hit the bus died, according to officials.
The State Highway Patrol indicated the driver of the vehicle swerved left of center and hit the bus head on. Some students were transported to Pender Memorial Hospital out of caution, while one student was released to a guardian at the scene. Staff and district officials were with the students at the hospital before being released.
Bus 243, servicing Heide Trask High School, was involved in the Maple Hill accident, which State Highway Patrol is on the scene investigating. Few details are available about the cause, due to the ongoing investigation.
The incident impacted traffic in the area so motorists should expect delays.
[Ed. note: This has been updated throughout the day as new information has become available to the press.]
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