Yadkin County Students, Bus Driver Recovering after Bus Turnover

Updated: December 4, 2013

No charges have been filed against the driver of the Yadkin County school bus that overturned on a rural road.

On December 3, driver Pamela Gail Cline was traveling southwest on Summertime Road just after 7:15 a.m. That's when North Carolina State Highway  Trooper Kevin Hennelly says the unexpected happened. "Bus 146 was traveling southwest on Summertime Road," explains Trooper Hennelly. "It came into a curve at Patsy Lane, went off the shoulder to the left, went down into the field and rolled over on its left side." Trooper Hennelly says no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

11 students and Cline were treated for minor injuries at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Yadkin Valley Community Hospital.  Everyone has been released. 21 students from Forbush Middle School, Forbush High School and Yadkin Early College were on board when their school bus overturned.

Yadkin County School Superintendent Dr. Todd Martin doubts speed was a factor in the accident because all of the school system's buses are equipped with devices that control the vehicles' speed. Dr. Martin estimates buses are limited to about 45 mph. “Every bus is brought in over the summer and inspected from top to bottom and then they do periodic inspections on each bus throughout the school year.” According to Dr. Martin, the school system has 63 buses. He also says he's grateful the accident happened in a rural area on a road that has light morning traffic. According to Dr. Martin, this is the first time he's known of a bus overturning.