Police say that the driver of a dump truck fell asleep at the wheel just before colliding head-on with a school bus full of high school students earlier this week.
The accident happened on May 11th, in Charlotte, North Carolina; and a new police report was released on Friday morning, May 13th.
The police report states that the 23-year-old dump truck driver, Natham Clyde Luck, was heading west on Sharon Road West when he fell asleep at the wheel. The dump truck then crossed the centerline as Luck dozed and struck a passenger vehicle and a school bus in the process. The report shows that Luck was traveling 55 mph in a 35 mph zone at the time of the wreck.
Luck and the bus driver were pinned in their trucks following the wreck. Luck sustained serious injuries and was pulled from the wreckage after being pinned for an hour. The bus driver sustained injuries described as life-threatening, and was rescued from the wreckage after being trapped for around 30 minutes. Fourteen students suffered non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the third vehicle was not hurt.
Luck has since been issued a citation for driving left of center News 13 reports. Residents in the area say that the stretch of road where the accident occurred is tricky, and concerns about safety in the area have been expressed before.
“The speed coming off this curb through this area is always high impact,” said Neighbor James Daniels. “I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”