Students nearly hit by car passing stopped school bus in North Carolina

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - Two students in North Carolina were nearly hit by a car that flew past the stopped school bus as they crossed the street.

The incident took place at about 6:16 a.m. Thursday in Iredell County, according to Iredell-Statesville Schools.

The bus’s dashcam caught the incident on video. The video shows the children waiting until the bus has stopped and has its stop-sign arm extended before crossing.

Footage shows a car passing the bus in the opposite lane of traffic, hitting a curb, as the children cross. The bus had its stop-sign arm extended when the car went around.

The students are then seen sprinting out of the way and narrowly avoiding being hit.

In the video, the bus driver and other passengers can be heard screaming in fear as the children run towards the bus.

Officials didn’t say to which school the bus was taking the students.

The school district sent out a press release letting parents know of the incident and reminding drivers to “slow down and pay attention.”

“Driving distracted is not worth someone’s life,” the district said in part. “If you see a stopped school bus with red flashing lights and extended stop arms, this indicates the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off the bus.”

In January, the Troutman Police Department said that similar incidents involving Iredell-Statesville school buses had been on the rise. At the time, police said patrols would be increased in an effort to reduce the number of incidents.

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