The driver was airlifted after the bus struck a low bridge Thursday afternoon.
GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Six students and a bus driver were injured Thursday when a school bus hit a low bridge at Carolina and Vine streets in Goldsboro, leaving the front of the bus badly crushed.
The students, who attend Dillard Charter Academy, were taken to UNC Health Wayne with injuries officials described as not life-threatening. A hospital spokesperson said the students were released Thursday night. Goldsboro Police Chief Michael West said nine students were on the bus when it crashed. The driver was airlifted to ECU Health in Greenville.
Emergency radio traffic after the crash said all children were out of the bus, though some were hurt. Police at the scene said they did not believe the students’ injuries were life-threatening. Video from WRAL’s Sky 5 showed the yellow school bus wedged near the bridge, with its front end folded and torn from the impact. The crash happened near the Carolina Street bridge, also identified as U.S. Highway 117, where the posted clearance is about 7 feet, 6 inches.
Witness Whitney Dixon said the crash scene was upsetting as emergency crews worked around the bus. “It was a very devastating scene, though,” Dixon said. “Seeing the scene, it was so horrible.” The bus appeared to have tried to pass under the bridge before striking it. It was not immediately clear whether the route was the bus’s regular path or why the driver approached the bridge.
Neighbors told WRAL News the speed limit in the area is 25 mph. Some people who live nearby said the bus appeared to be moving much faster, though police had not announced a formal finding on speed. Another neighbor said large vehicles have hit the same bridge before, including U-Haul moving trucks. She said drivers sometimes miss existing clearance signs and said she wants height warnings placed directly on the bridge.
The crash drew attention to a tight city crossing where local traffic moves under a bridge with limited clearance. The height of the bridge is far below the clearance needed for many large vehicles, including standard buses and box trucks. Officials had not said Friday whether road design, signage, driver error, speed or another factor was the main cause.
The investigation was continuing Friday. Police had not announced charges, and no full crash report had been released. Officials also had not given a public update on the driver’s condition after the airlift to Greenville. The next step is expected to include a review of the bus route, witness accounts, crash scene evidence and any available video from the area.
By Friday morning, the injured students had left the hospital, but questions remained about how the bus reached the low bridge and whether more warnings may be considered at Carolina and Vine streets.
Author note: Last updated May 1, 2026.