43 Army Reservists Injured in N.C. Bus Crash
Aug. 24--MOORESVILLE -- A bus carrying Army reservists slid down an embankment and landed on its side Friday afternoon in Iredell County, injuring 43 soldiers, according to local and state officials.
Medics had to crawl under the bus to reach one of those hurt, authorities say. That victim was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries.
The bus was one of two carrying members of the 991st Transportation Company from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to the National Guard armory in Salisbury, according to Patty McQuillan of the N.C. Highway Patrol. Authorities at the scene said 45 soldiers were aboard the bus that crashed.
Another 35 soldiers were riding on another bus that was not involved in the incident, which was reported shortly before 3 p.m. on N.C. 150/N.C. 152 at Oak Meadow Road. That is about 3 miles northeast of Mooresville.
The soldiers were returning home after a training session at Fort McCoy, an Army base in Wisconsin, about 150 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Mecklenburg County's Medic joined several Iredell County agencies in helping crash victims. Medic's Kristin Young said the agency's Mass Casualty Bus took 15 soldiers to CMC-Huntersville. Kim Sellers of the Mooresville police said seven victims were taken to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville, four were transported to Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville, and 16 were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The bus driver was not hurt, McQuillan said.
The Highway Patrol said the crash was reported shortly before 3 p.m. Trooper Brett Marr said the bus was eastbound when it stopped for a car making a left turn from the highway onto Oak Meadow Road.
It had rained a short time earlier, and the road was wet. Witnesses told troopers that the real wheels of the bus appeared to skid, and the bus slid onto the grassy shoulder on the right side of N.C. 150/N.C. 152. The shoulder gave way, however, and the bus slid down an 8-foot embankment before turning on its side, Marr said.
"There's been so much rain," Marr said. "It (the shoulder) was soft."
The bus landed in a grassy area about 100 yards from KC Mini-Storage.
Personnel from the South Iredell Fire Department, Mooresville Fire and Rescue, and other agencies responded.
Jason Little, a shift supervisor for Iredell County EMS, said at least a dozen paramedics were on scene, helping treat the injured soldiers. He said special equipment was needed to reach the most seriously injured soldier, who was trapped inside the bus. Little said crews used "rescue struts" to lift the bus out of the mud, so personnel could reach the victim.
"We tunneled into the bus to free him," Little said.
He said it was the first time Iredell County has needed the Mass Casualty Bus, calling the crash "probably the highest casualty count we've had in Iredell County."
The bus was operated by Randolph County-based Holiday Tours.
Federal safety records show Holiday Tours Inc., based in Randleman, has a very good safety record. The company is in the top 6 percent of companies nationwide in terms of unsafe driving, and has a "satisfactory" rating, the highest of three available grades.
Holiday operates 61 buses, according to federal records. The company was cited three times for moving violations in the past two years, including once for a lane restriction violation, once for failing to obey a traffic control device and once for speeding 6 to 10 mph over the limit.
The company has been involved in three prior collisions in the past two years, resulting in one injury, records show.
Steve Lyttle: 704-358-6107 Twitter: @slyttle
Copyright 2013 - The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
