Lincolnton, NC— November 16, 2022, injuries were reported after a truck rear-ended a school bus on State Highway 150 in Catawba County.

Authorities say the incident happened shortly before 9:00 a.m. along Highway 150. Preliminary investigation suggests a bus from the Lincoln Charter School was carrying 13 high school students and a teacher to a zoo in Asheboro. For unknown reasons, a tractor-trailer rear-ended the bus on the highway.

Two students and the bus driver were taken by ambulance to an area hospital, but their injuries were described as "not serious."

No further information is currently available.

Commentary on School Bus Accident in Catawba County

News reports aren't entirely clear on how or why this crash occurred, but suggest the 18-wheeler hit the school bus (one even used the word "rammed"). If that's the case then surely the truck driver--and the company behind them--would admit fault and try to make things right...right?

That may seem reasonable on paper, but things are rarely that simple after a commercial wreck. Trucking companies rarely if ever accept liability off the bat. Sometimes police efforts find enough evidence that they have no choice but to take responsibility, but there's a reason I often recommend that crash victims and their families work with independent investigators to get the whole story.

Some may not see that as necessary if the injuries sustained really were "not serious." However, a) that assessment could mean a lot of different things and b) kids' bodies handle injuries differently as they're still growing and changing. A bang-up that adults bounce back from may heal incorrectly if it doesn't get the right attention, which can cause serious problems down the road--once it's too late to hold the at-fault parties accountable.

I'm not saying anything like that is coming in North Carolina, and I truly hope the three injured folks escaped serious harm. I just think it's always best to investigate carefully and gather the needed facts on the off-chance that things take a turn. At worst they'd be over-prepared and not need it, which is always better than the opposite.