Students struck by SUV on way to school bus; not seriously hurt

Two kindergarten students escaped serious injury Thursday morning when they were struck by a sport utility vehicle on their way to a school bus.

The accident occurred on Filter Plant Road in Cherokee County at 7:10 a.m. while a school bus was stopped to load children, said Lance Cpl. Bryan McDougald of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The bus driver had engaged the stop sign and lights as required by state law.

A 15-year-old Gaffney driver in a 1999 Isuzu sport utility vehicle ran the bus stop sign and hit the children, the officer said. McDougald said the children were crossing the road to get on the school bus.

The driver of the vehicle was charged with disregarding a stopped school bus. The driver was not injured.

The speed limit is 35 miles per hour on Filter Plant Road. McDougald said the South Carolina Highway Patrol was uncertain how fast the driver was driving at the time of the accident.

Emergency personnel transported both children to Upstate Carolina Medical Center. The children’s names were not released because of their age.

“A 4-K child was apparently struck by the right side of the vehicle and knocked back into the driveway,” Cherokee County School Superintendent Dr. Bill James said. “The other student’s book bag was apparently struck by the vehicle’s mirror and knocked the student back into the drive. The district administration is very thankful that both children appear to have sustained only minor injuries and trauma in this unfortunate accident.”

James said the accident highlights the importance of an early intervention program to prevent traffic violations and fatal traffic accidents among young drivers.

School trustees voted in August to incorporate the National Safety Council’s “Alive at 25” defensive driving course into high school driver’s education classes.