GMC Prep School bus driver charged in crash with train
The driver of a Georgia Military College Prep School bus that was hit by a train in North Carolina on Tuesday was charged with failing to yield the right of way at a railroad crossing.
North Carolina Highway Patrol charged 59-year-old Charlie Poole in the crash, which occurred just before noon, according to a report from WLOS-TV.
Thirty-nine freshman boys and three school staff members were aboard the bus when it was hit on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, according to the school. The group was on a field trip visiting the Nantahala Outdoor Center, about 200 miles north of Milledgeville.
Six boys and two staff members were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Everyone was released from the hospitals by Wednesday, except for one of the staff members, according to a news release from the school.
The school is investigating the crash, as are state and federal agencies, WLOS-TV reported.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad told WLOS-TV there was no history of crashes at the crossing, and a preliminary investigation found the bus didn’t stop as it should have.
Laura Corley: 478-744-4334, @Lauraecor
This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 12:27 PM with the headline "GMC Prep School bus driver charged in crash with train."