Fuquay-Varina, NC (September 02, 2026) - Information provided by local officials and news reports indicates that a Wake County public school bus collided with a box truck before striking J&S New York Pizza at Varina Station around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Three people were injured, and the restaurant at 500 East Broad Street sustained significant damage.

Video recorded by nearby Brick Bar and Misfits Kitchen showed the box truck traveling along Broad Street toward the intersection with Ransdell Road and Fayetteville Street. A separate school bus, which was not involved in the crash, was waiting in the left turn lane to turn onto Ransdell Road. As the truck passed that bus and crossed the intersection, the bus involved in the collision entered from Ransdell Road and struck the truck on its driver’s side. The bus then veered into the restaurant.

Traffic on Broad Street moves through the intersection without a stop sign. Stop signs control traffic entering from Ransdell Road and Fayetteville Street. Town officials said the bus driver received a citation for failure to yield causing serious bodily injury.

The bus driver and the two people in the box truck were taken to the hospital and later released, according to local reports. Initial accounts described the injuries as minor, with the bus driver’s injuries also described as non-life-threatening. A later interview with the truck’s occupants provided additional details about the injuries.

Kayden Sweetman, who was driving the box truck, said he and his fiancée, Kyleigh Morris, were traveling to work when the crash happened. Sweetman said he believed he had the right of way and was about halfway through the intersection when the bus struck his truck and pushed it sideways.

The impact shattered glass and sent the driver’s side mirror into the truck’s cab. Sweetman and Morris believed the mirror struck Sweetman near his eye. Sweetman reported receiving multiple stitches and treatment for several small fractures and a broken nose. He also said glass had to be removed from cuts, including injuries to his arm. Morris reported minor injuries. The couple expressed a desire for legal action against the bus driver, and Morris said she hoped the driver would no longer operate a school bus.

Wake County Public School System officials said the bus driver’s two children, both district students, were riding on the bus and were not injured. District policy permits drivers whose children attend district schools to have those children assigned to their routes and ride with them to school.

The collision damaged the restaurant’s outdoor seating area, facade and windowed entrance. Photographs from inside showed broken windows, shattered glass and bricks scattered near the entrance to the patio. Tables had also been displaced. A news crew’s aerial footage showed workers towing the box truck, which had a broken windshield.

Restaurant owners Lori Shaver, Phil Cammarata and Ven Cammarata said police notified them that a bus had struck their building. The family had operated the Fuquay-Varina restaurant for nearly 20 years. Shaver said they were awaiting information about structural damage, while Ven Cammarata questioned how the collision occurred in an area where he said the speed limit was 20 mph.

The owners expected the restaurant to remain closed for at least several weeks. They said approximately 30 employees would continue to receive pay during the closure, and some might be able to work at the family’s other restaurant in Apex. The owners also expressed relief that the children were uninjured and that the reported injuries were not worse.

Witness Chris Capot said he saw paramedics evaluating a person after the crash. He described the intersection as difficult to navigate, noting the absence of traffic lights and the frequency of vehicles crossing there.

How School Bus Collision Reviews Address Injuries and Property Damage

A collision affecting vehicle occupants and a neighborhood business can leave several separate questions to resolve. Reviews commonly bring together the crash report, available video, witness accounts and photographs to establish the sequence of events. Medical records and repair assessments then help document the consequences for the people and property involved.

For those injured in a car accident, the time needed to resolve a claim can vary with treatment progress, disputed circumstances and questions about coverage. Information about auto accident compensation help can explain how evidence, medical expenses and missed work may factor into that review.

Keeping records organized also makes it easier to distinguish confirmed expenses from costs that are still being evaluated. Hospital discharge information, follow-up treatment records, wage documentation and written repair estimates each address different parts of the loss. A consistent record helps those reviewing the claim identify missing information and explain what remains unresolved.

Addressing Insurance Questions After a Serious Collision

As recovery continues, families may face decisions about a car accident claim while treatment costs and time away from work are still developing. The timing of negotiations matters because an offer may arrive before the medical outlook and financial losses are fully documented. Reviewing what an offer addresses, and which expenses remain uncertain, supports a more informed decision.

At Rosensteel Fleishman, we help injured people examine collision records, insurance questions and documented losses. Our firm can explain what additional information may be needed before evaluating a settlement, so clients understand the issues affecting negotiations and the decisions ahead.