12/21/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, US // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan

Cary, NC—Thirty-eight middle schoolers were hospitalized, for what appeared to be neck and back pain, after three Asheboro City school buses crashed in Cary, North Carolina. The chain reaction bus collision happened as the buses were on their way to Raleigh for a field trip just before 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20, 2010, according to information provided by NBC17.

Reports indicated three school activity buses, occupied by a total of 113 students and about 10 teachers and chaperons, were on their way to the North Carolina Museums of History and Natural Sciences when the driver of one of the buses became momentarily distracted.

“He heard a buzzer go off and looked down for just a split second and when he looked up the buses in front of him had stopped, which basically caused a chain reaction,” explained Lt. Tracey Barker of the Cary Police Department.

After the pile-up occurred at U.S. Highway 64 and Edinburgh South Drive, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel responded to the scene to transport 38 North Asheboro Middle School students to four local hospitals. The majority of the kids were apparently rushed to WakeMed Cary.

While the students’ injuries were not specified, Jeffrey Hammerstein with Wake County EMS contended, “No great extent to any of them, it is not uncommon to have some neck and back pain.”

All uninjured students were transported to the nearby Courtyard Marriott and eventually taken back to school.

Cary Police authorities was cited for his failure to decrease the bus’ speed enough to avoid the chain-reaction crash. School officials are also probing the school bus accident. The driver will be tested for alcohol and drugs.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan– Legal News for North Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers.

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