RALEIGH — A Wake County school bus driver was fired Tuesday after being charged with causing an accident that damaged six other vehicles as he was on his way to pick up students last week.

Lamount A. Lynch, 21, of 336 Cartwright Drive in Wendell, was charged with careless and reckless driving for Thursday's after-school accident. Investigators said his bus was traveling 55 mph in a 35 mph zone.

According to the police report, the bus was traveling west on Strickland Road near West Millbrook Middle School when it sideswiped three stopped vehicles that were in the center turn lane.

Police say the bus then crossed into the center lane and hit a stopped vehicle that was headed in the opposite direction on Strickland Road. That vehicle was pushed into another vehicle and a tree. A seventh vehicle was reportedly damaged by debris.

There were no students on the bus at the time.

Greg Thomas, a Wake schools' spokesman, said that Lynch was immediately removed from bus duty after the accident. He said that after reviewing all the information, school officials decided Tuesday to terminate Lynch's contract. He had worked for Wake since April 6.