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Five vehicles total, including a Camdenton R-III School District bus, were involved in an accident Friday afternoon that sent 18 people to the hospital with minor or moderate injuries.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a chain-reaction crash occurred when a tractor trailer, driven by Patrick K. Wortman, rear ended the bus, causing it and the two vehicles ahead of it to crash into the vehicles in front of each car, respectively.
The accident occurred on South Route 5 as three vehicles were stopped, waiting to make a left hand turn onto Route 7.
The bus driver and 17 students, ranging in ages from 6 years old to 15 years old, as well as the driver of the car struck by the school bus, were taken to the hospital. One student, a 13-year-old female, was airlifted to St. John's in Springfield with moderate injuries. The rest sustained minor injuries.
All of the students who were taken for medical treatment, including the one taken to St. John's, were released Friday night.
School administrators released a statement Friday following the accident indicating that students not injured were transported offsite and released to their parents/guardians.
Even though the school bus driver was not at fault in this accident, school policy requires a mandatory drug and alcohol test be administered. School officials said all procedures have been followed. They also said they were grateful to the emergency crews that responded.
Staff at the Missouri Highway Patrol traffic crash headquarters were off due to the Columbus Day Holiday and could not be reached for comment as of press time Monday.
Friday's accident comes on the heels of a school bus crash Oct. 1 near Pyatt, Ark., where a Berryville, Ark., school bus traveled off the road, injuring nine students and two teachers.
The driver of that bus was later charged with a DWI, but had resigned his position earlier in the week.
Contact Jennifer Hollis at jennifer.hollis@lakemediaonline.com.
Five vehicles total, including a Camdenton R-III School District bus, were involved in an accident Friday afternoon that sent 18 people to the hospital with minor or moderate injuries.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a chain-reaction crash occurred when a tractor trailer, driven by Patrick K. Wortman, rear ended the bus, causing it and the two vehicles ahead of it to crash into the vehicles in front of each car, respectively.
The accident occurred on South Route 5 as three vehicles were stopped, waiting to make a left hand turn onto Route 7.
The bus driver and 17 students, ranging in ages from 6 years old to 15 years old, as well as the driver of the car struck by the school bus, were taken to the hospital. One student, a 13-year-old female, was airlifted to St. John's in Springfield with moderate injuries. The rest sustained minor injuries.
All of the students who were taken for medical treatment, including the one taken to St. John's, were released Friday night.
School administrators released a statement Friday following the accident indicating that students not injured were transported offsite and released to their parents/guardians.
Even though the school bus driver was not at fault in this accident, school policy requires a mandatory drug and alcohol test be administered. School officials said all procedures have been followed. They also said they were grateful to the emergency crews that responded.
Staff at the Missouri Highway Patrol traffic crash headquarters were off due to the Columbus Day Holiday and could not be reached for comment as of press time Monday.
Friday's accident comes on the heels of a school bus crash Oct. 1 near Pyatt, Ark., where a Berryville, Ark., school bus traveled off the road, injuring nine students and two teachers.
The driver of that bus was later charged with a DWI, but had resigned his position earlier in the week.
Contact Jennifer Hollis at jennifer.hollis@lakemediaonline.com.
