No injuries

reported in

King Street accident
By Melanie Davis
melanie@mountaintimes.com

The newest AppalCART purchase was damaged Tuesday afternoon when a Ford Ranger pickup truck crossed the centerline and struck the bus in a near head-on impact.

Sgt. D. Houck with the Boone Police Department said the accident was weather related. Melvin Fletcher, 73, of Zionville, was driving the pickup and his vision was impaired due to the hard rainfall.

Fletcher crossed the centerline of West King Street just before the N.C. 105 Bypass, striking the left front of the bus.

There were no injuries reported in the accident. Houck stsaid both drivers were traveling under the posted speed limit. Ambulance personnel were not called to the scene.

AppalCART operations manager John Kirk said the bus had been in service just over one month. Kirk said the bus has been towed back to the dealership in Greensboro and is hopeful repairs will be completed in time for the fall semester at Appalachian State University.

Kirk said he did not remember the last accident involving an AppalCART bus that sustained serious damage, but was certain it had been several months.

AppalCART currently utilitizes 16 buses and 16 vans in the Boone area.

Fletcher was cited by the Boone Police Department for driving left of the centerline.