A 19-year-old man was killed Wednesday morning in a Granville County crash witnessed by a school bus driver and students.
According to a spokesperson from Granville County Schools, troopers with the State Highway Patrol responded to the crash on Belltown Road, a two-lane road near Oxford.
A car attempting to pass a school bus in a no-passing zone collided head-on with an oncoming car, officials said. The school bus was not involved in the accident, but the driver and children witnessed the crash.
The SHP said two students from Granville Central High School were inside the car that tried to pass the bus. Both students were injured, but their condition is unknown. It is unknown if they will face charges.
The driver in the other car, identified as Karon Lamont Siplen, 19, of Oxford, was killed. Siplen was a former Granville student, according to the district, and his parents owned a seafood restaurant, Siplen’s Finger Lickin’ in Henderson.
The restaurant owners posted on Facebook it will stay closed for the week.
The State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
A spokesperson for Granville County Schools said support and assistance will be provided to staff and students as they “grapple with the sad news.”
