By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
A Beaufort County Schools school bus was involved in an accident shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday A Beaufort County school bus was involved in an accident just before 8 a.m. Tuesday.
No one, including eight students on their way to John Cotten Tayloe Elementary School, was seriously injured in the accident, according to Beaufort County Schools spokeswoman Sarah Hodges.
“Fortunately, everyone was fine. We’re grateful for that fact,” Hodges said.
The parents or guardians of the children involved in the collision were notified about the incident and were asked to come to the accident site to sign medical releases regarding the children, Hodges said.
“We let them see for themselves if there was any follow-up treatment needed,” she said. “That’s how we chose to handle it.”
Hodges said the school system’s other option would have been to transport all of the bus’ passengers to Beaufort County Medical Center.
The accident occurred where Broad Creek Road meets River Road about 7:49 a.m.
School bus No. 266 had stopped to pick up students on its way to John Cotten Tayloe Elementary School when a small SUV ran into the back of the bus.
The SUV was severely damaged, and the SUV’s and its driver was charged with failure to reduce speed, according to media reports.
There was visible damage to the left-rear bumper of the bus, which was hauled away from the wreck site by mechanics with Beaufort County Schools.
Highway Patrol troopers, firefighters with the Bunyan Volunteer Fire Department and EMTs with Broad Creek EMS responded to the accident.