At least 17 injured in North Carolina multi-vehicle crash where car and dump truck hit a school bus

At least 15 students were injured and a man is fighting for his life following a crash involving a school bus, car and dump truck in North Carolina on Wednesday morning. 

Paramedics at the scene in Charlotte confirmed that 15 of the 17 injured were students from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and one of the adult victims had sustained life-threatening injuries, WSOC reported. 

The school bus was carrying 40 students when the crash occurred at around 6:30 a.m., Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency (MEDIC) officials said. 

The bus driver and dump truck driver were trapped inside their vehicles after the crash but were freed by the Charlotte Fire Department. It was not immediately clear which one of the drivers was the victim who sustained life-threatening injuries.

At least 15 students were reported injured after a North Carolina bus was struck by a passenger car and dump truck on Wednesday morning. Pictured, the aftermath of the crash involving the three vehicles

It took officials 30 mins to free the bus driver and one hour to free the dump truck driver who were stuck inside their vehicles

The front of the school bus, which was carrying 40 students, was left torn to pieces following the horrific crash

Emergency workers at the scene worked to remove the dump truck from the scene to clear the roads

 Emergency workers said they worked quickly to get the children out and the bus and take them to the hospital. The injured students all had minor injuries while one of the adult victims was reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries

 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officials said it was unlikely anyone would face charges following a preliminary investigation

MEDIC officials said it took emergency workers 30 minutes to free the bus driver and an hour to remove the dump truck driver.

Fire department officials said freeing the drivers took long due to the sheer amount of dented metal surrounding them from the crash.  

The children were all taken the hospital in a mass casualty bus to treat their minor injuries, WRAL reported. 

CMS officials said they had sent out a message to families of the South Mecklenburg High School families informing them of the crash and the student’s conditions. 

The statement from school Principal Mar Angerer reads: ‘This morning, bus number 222 was involved in a crash with two other vehicles. 

‘Fifteen of our students were on the bus. Fourteen students were taken to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution and parents of those students were contacted. The bus driver was also injured.

‘I want to assure you that we take the safety of your children very seriously.’

The dump truck was lifted from the scene with a crane and placed on a towing vehicle in order to remove it

The rescue of the drivers took so long due to the sheer amount of metal surrounding them following the crash

Pictured, the wreckage depicting the white dump truck, which struck the school bus. Both vehicles were totaled

 It was not immediately clear if one of the drivers was the victim who sustained life-threatening injuries

Angie Washington, who lives in the area, told WRAL that she was in her home when she heard a loud boom and the screaming of school children. 

‘I saw all the children getting out the back of the bus and I ran down here,’ she said. ‘Kids were crying, they were a little hysterical.’

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officials said it was unlikely anyone would face charges following a preliminary investigation.   

Pictures of the wreckage show the shattered windshield of the school bus as it’s pinned against a tree and the dump truck

The dump truck was also demolished following the crash and needed to be removed by a crane and tow truck

City workers were cleaning up the debris from the crash in order to clear the road and allow traffic through