Johnston County Commissioner candidate charged with hit-and-run involving school bus

A candidate for Johnston County Commissioner was arrested and charged with hit-and-run involving a school bus in Four Oaks.

2026-02-28

According to the arrest warrant, Chad Stewart of Four Oaks, was driving on East Sanders Street near Meadow Hills Drive on Thursday when he failed to slow down and crashed into the back of a stopped school bus.

He was charged with failure to stop for stopped school bus, hit-and-run resulting in property damage and failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision, the warrant said. He was arrested on Friday.

A spokesperson from Johnston County Public Schools said seven Johnston County Early College and Johnston County Career and Technical Leadership Academy students were on board, but no one was injured.

WRAL has reached out to the Four Oaks Police Department for more information on the crash. 

Stewart is running for the Johnston County Board of Commissioners District 3 seat in the Republican primary.

He previously served on the Johnston County Board of Commissioners, as chairman and vice chairman from 2013 to 2021.

Stewart was given a $20,000 bond. His court hearing is scheduled for April 10.