School rallies to support students after Douglas Byrd bus wreck
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- One day after a school bus carrying members of the Douglas Byrd High School football team overturned, school officials are focusing on the physical and mental well-being of students and staffers and offering resources to help them recover.
Principal Kenneth Williams said his top priority is to ensure everyone affected by the crash receives the support they need.
"The safety of our faculty, staff, and students is always the most important thing," Williams said.
School officials canceled upcoming scrimmages and are providing mental health resources to all students and staff affected by the incident.
"We have counselors on standby. We're going to actually meet with parents again to make sure that they're OK as well," Williams said.
The crash occurred just after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, when the activity bus, carrying 23 students and seven staff members, overturned off a ramp from Highway 17 North to Highway 74 West as the group returned from a 7-on-7 scrimmage at South Brunswick High School, according to Leland police.
"There were a lot of people who were cut, there were a lot of bruises, there may have been some broken bones, one subject said that she was unable to feel her legs, and so those people took the priority," said Leland Fire Chief James Lancaster.
Four people, including two students and two adults, were taken by ambulance with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries. As a caution, everyone on the bus was taken to the hospital for evaluation, school officials said.
'Sprang into action'
Williams recalled the moment he learned of the crash.
"I got the call. He said it had been an accident. And I was like, OK. And then he told me the type of accident. And then, um, my heart dropped," he said.
Williams said he immediately drove nearly two hours to the scene after receiving the call from the football coach.
"We immediately sprang into action, making sure that we got in contact with all the parents, making sure our district knew everybody that needed to know," he said.
Now that everyone is back home, Williams said the school is continuing to check on students and staff.
Following up
"Coaches actually have done a good job; they've been doing wellness checks on the kids. We've been doing wellness checks on the coaches and kids," he said, and he added that he waited until everyone was discharged from the hospital before he went home himself.
Williams also reassured parents about the experience of the school's bus drivers.
"All of our bus drivers have to go through the North Carolina, you know, classes, um, they are certified CDO drivers. They, the transportation department, CCS, has trained with them every year."
The bus driver, Williams said, is recovering but has found the experience difficult.
"She's an experienced driver and is receiving support," he said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Williams said the school will continue to monitor students and staff as they return to activities.
"Also, we are going to really monitor once they start back playing. We're going to have some extra medical staff or training staff there to make sure that we're keeping an eye on how they're feeling," he said.
