Mom frustrated district didn’t alert her of bus crash

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — One student was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and four others complained about head pain after a Union County school bus got into a wreck Monday morning.

Nicole Turner got a text message from her son, Ryan, that read, “Mom. My bus driver hit someone.”

She said that was the only way she knew about the crash and was still waiting the next day for official word from the district.

Ryan told Channel 9 he didn’t know what to think when the bus wrecked.

“I was scared,” Ryan said. “The first thing I thought was to call her and let her know what was happening.”

He said he was one of the kids who had head pain.

There were 17 students on the way to Porter Ridge Middle School when it happened.

“The bus driver blew past one of the stops, slammed on brakes, and went in reverse,” Ryan said. “The car behind her was honking, beeping, trying to get them to stop.”

“He’s got a concussion, and now his neck and back are hurting today,” Turner said.

She is upset that the district hasn’t released anything about it.

“The school didn’t even bother to send out a text message, even today,” Turner said. “We’re almost 24 hours after the incident, and they never bothered to put anything out.”

A spokesperson told Channel 9 they have protocols to notify parents when students are involved in a bus wreck, but protocols were not fully followed this time.

There have been 12 school bus crashes in the district since Nov. 1 and nine were preventable, officials said.

“I feel like you shouldn’t have to worry about being in danger on the bus,” Ryan said. “It’s something that’s supposed to be safe getting us to and from school.”

Turner said she is going to change his mode of transportation to and from school.

“I’m going to be driving him to school every morning and picking him up every day. I do not trust Union County to transport my son,” the mother said.

The crash is under investigation and the bus driver has been reassigned, district officials said.

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