Power line falls on school bus in East Asheville

ASHEVILLE – Students returning home from Haw Creek Elementary experienced a scare Monday afternoon when a live power line fell on their bus.

No one was injured in the incident on Fairway Drive off Governors View Road in Asheville, near Asheville Municipal Golf Course.

"The bus driver saw this line, a power line, so (she) tried to dodge it," 9-year-old Devon Rathbone said, adding that his older brother's car was in the way on the street. "So she turned like this, and the power line hits the side and starts sparking. I wasn't really scared until it started sparking more."

The bus driver stopped the bus and called the Buncombe County bus garage and emergency services. Duke Energy crews responded, too, and were able to cut the power and safely remove the lines.

The 13 students from Haw Creek Elementary and bus driver exited the bus safely.

"We train on this, and the bus driver did exactly what she was supposed to do," said Joseph Hough, director of transportation for Buncombe County Schools.

Duke Energy District Manager Jason Walls said the guy wire holding the line in place apparently had been struck and damaged over the weekend, causing the line to sag. It's a secondary line that powers streetlights.

"This line may not have been carrying high voltage, but the line still could've damaged somebody," Walls said, adding that the bus driver acted properly by keeping everyone on the bus. "Anytime you see any downed electrical line, stop and call (emergency services)."

Trevor Sell, Devon's stepbrother, said the incident was scary.

"My bus driver saw this line that was tilted down a little, and it started to scrape the bus a little bit," said Trevor, 10. "Then it got caught in the bus mirror, and it covered up the door. Then it started to shock everywhere, going 'Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt!'"

Their older stepbrother, Tyler Pressley, 18, was at home waiting for his younger brothers to get off the bus. He said he was inside watching TV when he heard what sounded like a motorcycle. He didn't think much of it because there's a motorcycle shop nearby.

But when he came outside, he saw a live power line draped over the door of the school bus and on the road. The bus driver was unable to let children off the bus.

"It was pretty crazy," Pressley said. "They were all standing up, freaking out on the bus."