Teacher killed in accident honored
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 10, 2016 1:46 PM
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Brandon Kincaid
As word trickled out into the community Tuesday that a beloved teacher at Meadow Lane Elementary School had died after being hit by a preschool bus in the school's parking lot, administrators and teachers went into protective mode.
The Wayne County Public Schools' Crisis Team, comprised of psychologists and counselors, were deployed to the campus, where they will remain through the end of the week to serve students and staff needing support.
Brandon Kincaid, a second-grade teacher at the school, was struck in front of the school by a bus belonging to a local child care center. No charges have been filed against the driver of the Small World Child Care Center bus.
The accident happened just as the school day was beginning, around 8:15 a.m.
Kincaid, 25, was wheelchair-bound, the result of a condition he had since childhood.
In 2005, when he was a junior at Eastern Wayne High School, he was among students recognized by the district's Wayne County Counselors Association for having overcome obstacles and managing to succeed in school, while inspiring students and staff.
He continued to inspire others until the day he died.
"Every time I saw Mr. Kincaid, he had a smile on his face. He never complained. I never heard him say anything bad about anybody or anything. He always had a positive attitude," Michelle Gurley, school counselor, said. "The kids absolutely loved him. They loved being in his class.
"I think he was a fun teacher and they really just enjoyed being part of that."
Principal Karen Wellington Whichard called him a teacher with a passion for children.
"He was one of those who wanted to make sure his kids got it," she said. "He would do whatever he could and go the extra mile for children.
"It's because of that, because of his kind heart and his passion and all that he did to make others smile that make us miss him so much."
Facebook was rife with tributes to the impact he had had on many.
In his second year of teaching at the school, he was also an avid Panthers fan. He was pastor of children and youth at Neuse Baptist Church in Kinston.
And he and wife, Sara, were expecting their first baby, already named Benjamin Taylor Kincaid, in June.
A GoFundMe page was set up for the "Love 4 Teacher Brandon Kincaid Fund," raising $2,940 in the first 11 hours.
The aftermath of such a tragedy will not be quickly eased, officials said.
The district's Communications Director Ken Derksen said the crisis team is in place to "maintain as much a sense of normalcy as possible."
Parent letters were sent home Tuesday to not only explain the situation that took place on campus, but also to alert them to be aware of the effect it could have on their child.
"Parents need to know how to talk to their children," he said. "We're going to give them as much information as possible for them to have these conversations."
Initially, the district indicated that students were already in class at the time of the incident and no students had witnessed it.
That report later changed, as it was determined that "some students" may have witnessed the accident.
"The exact number has not yet been determined," Derksen said in an e-mail. "Extra support is being provided to those students."
Derksen also said that 175 students had been picked up early by their families.
Teachers and staff met after school to assess the day and determine next steps in dealing with the loss.
Mrs. Whichard said she did not have information yet on services for Kincaid, but said the staff is working on doing some things for the family.
The investigation into the accident is still ongoing, the Goldsboro Police Department said.
It has yet to be determined whether charges will be filed.
"Officer (Will) Smith is still conducting his investigation," Maj. Anthony Carmon said today.
Smith has a few more interviews to conduct with witnesses, after which the wreck report will be finalized, he said.
"When he is done, he will confer with the (district attorney) to determine if any charges will be filed," Carmon said.
According to the initial wreck report, the accident happened at 8:10 a.m. in the parking lot of the school.
Bus driver Cecil Roman Batts III, 56, of Goldsboro, told Smith he checked the mirrors before pulling off and did not see anything, the report said.
As he began to drive away, Batts heard a noise and stopped the bus, the report said. As he exited the bus, he saw that Kincaid had been hit.