More than 20 Army reservists hurt when bus goes off road, overturns in North Carolina; 1 critically
8/23/2013MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A chartered bus carrying U.S. Army reservists went off a road north of Charlotte and overturned today, injuring at least 28 soldiers, one seriously, authorities said.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the bus was carrying 45 soldiers around 3 p.m. when it crashed in Mooresville, which is about 25 miles north of Charlotte.
Police said the bus had slowed for turning traffic, slid to the right and ran off N.C. 150. The bus toppled over onto its right side and came to rest in front of a storage facility.
A statement from the highway patrol said one person was airlifted from the scene with serious, non-life threatening injuries to Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte.
Sixteen other soldiers were transported with minor injuries to Carolina Medical Center in nearby Huntersville, and at least 11 soldiers were taken to two other hospitals, also with minor injuries. The bus driver was not hurt, according to the patrol.
The reservists are members of the Army’s 991st Transportation Company, which is based in Salisbury.
Randleman-based Holiday Tours operated the bus. A company spokesman said the bus was one of two carrying reservists from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Salisbury. Another spokesman said the company is investigating the wreck.