Student hit while trying to board Nash County school bus

Castalia, N.C. — A 41-year-old Castalia man has been charged after authorities say he hit a 13-year-old student who was trying to board a stopped school bus on N.C. Highway 58.

According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Jesus Ortiz, an eighth grader at Red Oak Middle School, was crossing the road to get on a bus about 6:15 a.m. when he was hit by Nicolas Benitez, of Lancaster Store Road.

Ortiz has lacerations on his face and a broken leg but is expected to be OK.

The school bus was stopped and had its crossing stick down at the time Ortiz was hit, troopers said.

Bentiez was charged with driving with a revoked license, passing a stopped school bus and having unsafe tires.

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Just a thought here: perhaps all those military personnel who will be home from the war could be on board every school bus in NC - and every time the bus stops they could stand out beside the bus with red flags with flashing lights to insure the school children are doubly protected from the who should be aware of the laws that refuse to stop for a school bus that already has flashing lights on. AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CAN HAVE THE PAY OF THE MILITARY PERSONNEL DEDUCTED FROM THEIR PAYCHECKS.

jrfergerson
February 22, 2013 12:20 p.m.

"I feel sorry for the student. However have you ever been to a large shopping center like Walmart. People just seem to know they have the right of way and dont even bother to look both ways to make sure traffic is going to stop for you. If you get hit the important first issue is not whose fault it is but how seriously you are injured. Whose fault is not much consolation when you are in the hospital or dead. Teach your children to look both ways and make sure there is no oncoming traffic and that it is safe to cross the street. If I cross the street and I see a big truck coming, I am going to yield the right of way."-superman

REALLY???? Are you serious??? So are you saying that its the childs fault? The two scenerios that you are comparing have nothing in common other than someone getting hit by a car, because by law and common sense you are suppose to stop when a child is boarding a school bus. A child feels confident and trusts that when the BIG YELLOW BUS with FLASHING LIGHTS stops

Sweet summertime
February 22, 2013 9:23 a.m.

Shool bus stops, lights flashing, child crosses road to get on bus , man with attencion problems hits child. How is that the childs fault SUPERMAN? really? REALLY? Man what's wrong with people always trying to blame the victim, especially when it's an innocent child only doing what he is trained to do?

panterap89
February 22, 2013 9:19 a.m.

Just to clarify........Benitez wasn't charged with no license, he was charged with operating with a REVOKED license. A license is often revoked for multiple intoxication offences.

beachboater February 21, 2013 4:25 p.m_____________ Don't be so quick to judge why his license were revoke, they can be revolked for many, many reason, all of which clearly shows that he should not of been driving. Look at police lock up every week there are those caught driving with revoke license. Until some serious fines are place this won't stop, I mean taking their vehicle if needed.

Rebelyell55
February 21, 2013 7:18 p.m.

"Its all hands on deck when an officer is wounded but when it comes to daily job of protecting the public law enforcement is MIA."

Lets see, the Officer was shot by someone who was trying to avoid a traffic stop. So there was a LEO on site to call in the crime. The kid was hit at a bus stop and there were no Officers present so it took a bit for LEOs to be brought in. Both people have been aprehended. So what exactly is the problem? You can't honestly expect LEOs to be present every time a crime is committed. If they were present every time, A)folks would think twice about doing the crime and B)The LEOs would be right there to apprehend the criminals anyway.