Hertford County Bus Driver Named Top in the State


Some drivers show off their skills on the speedway but today, Eric Turner (Hertford County Schools), demonstrated his driving expertise at the annual State School Bus ROADeo held on the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. After his successful completion of the challenging obstacle course that demanded a focus on precision and safety, Turner proved that he had what it takes to earn this year’s title for North Carolina’s top school bus driver.

The other top nine drivers in order of finish from 2nd to 10th place were:

  • Mitch Banner (Avery County Schools)
  • Billy McKemey (Wake County Schools)
  • William Chapman (Cumberland County Schools)
  • Chris Owens (Clinton City Schools)
  • Bryson Nesbitt (Kannapolis City Schools)
  • Beverly Williams (Union County Schools)
  • James Pennington (Ashe County Schools)
  • Connie Hope (Sampson County Schools)
  • Reginald Jones (Craven County Schools)

Turner received a $500 cash prize and a trip to represent the state in the national school bus driving competition to be held this summer in Charleston, SC. The 2nd through 5th place finishers received $400, $300, $200 and $100, respectively. Sixth through 10th place finishers won $50.

A total of 43 school bus drivers participated in the final testing and driving competition to name the top school bus driver in North Carolina.  Each of the 43 contestants advanced to the state finals by placing in the top 10 of a regional competition.  Most regional participants also advanced through a local ROADeo sponsored by their local school system.

More than 800,000 students ride one of North Carolina’s 13,400 school buses each day.

The North Carolina Pupil Transportation Association, the Division of Motor Vehicles, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Transportation Services Section and Wake County Public School System’s Transportation Department sponsor the annual State School Bus ROADeo.

About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 107 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state’s public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.