In all, the "Peace Street Peeler" in downtown Raleigh has claimed 15 trucks since 2021.
Troopers discovered the girls during an inspection when they "observed two sets of eyes" inside the trailer, officials said.
The bus carrying 20 students from Union Pines High School ended up in a ditch.
The Highway Patrol said it believes a chain-reaction crash caused a pickup to slam into the back of a fuel tanker truck.
NTSB investigators say the truck driver who plowed into slowed traffic was using his cell phone at the time.
Harrowing moments were caught on dashcam video in Louisiana.