Several Students Injured When Jeep Rear-Ends Wake County School Bus

On the morning of November 10, several students aboard a Wake County school bus on its way to Zebulon Middle School sustained minor personal injuries and one received hospital transport for observation after the bus was rear-ended by a Jeep, according to authorities.

North Carolina Highway Patrol spokesman Jeff Gordon said that the Jeep Liberty’s driver, 47-year-old Wake Forest resident Christopher Trast, was charged with failure to reduce speed in connection to the crash, which took place shortly before 6:30 a.m. on N.C. 96 near the intersection of Halifax Road.

The school bus, driven by 37-year-old Knightdale resident Lillian Allen, was southbound on N.C. 96 and had stopped and activated the mechanical stop sign and flashing red lights while preparing for a child to board, according to Gordon. The child was standing away from the bus on a private driveway.

Trast did not slow down and collided with the rear of the bus.

Gordon said that one of the eight passengers about the bus received transport to WakeMed North for observation and five students complained of minor injuries.