Several injured when school buses crash on I-70
UPDATE: According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, Richey Blanchard, 28 of Alabama, was driving the tractor-trailer that rear-ended the school bus. Authorities said Blanchard braked, skidded on ice and struck one of the buses. That bus then crashed into the bus in front of it.
ORIGINAL: Four vehicles, two school buses for Our Lady of Lourdes Interparish School, a tractor-trailer and a passenger car, were involved in a crash on Interstate 70 west at the Missouri River bridge at 7:45 Thursday morning, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott White.
A passenger car spun out on the bridge, Boone County Fire District officials said. A school bus then came to a stop behind the passenger car and a tractor-trailer rear-ended the bus, according to Boone County Fire. That bus then slid into the other bus.
The buses were taking students to the Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri.
“There wasn’t any damage on our bus,” said student Aden Tipton, who spoke with ABC 17 News on permission from an adult family member. “On the girls’ bus like the back window it got completely shattered and everything and parts of the semi was still like hanging onto the bus.”
The school had separate buses for boys and girls.
There were several minor injuries in the crash, according to troopers on scene, including the driver of the passenger vehicle. Our Lady of Lourdes spokeswoman Helen Osman initially said eight students and one pregnant teacher were taken to Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Columbia, but later revised the number to 12 students plus the teacher.
A University of Missouri Health Care official said 13 people were treated at Women’s and Children’s and released.
Osman said all other students are being transported back to the school and will be picked up by their parents.
Troopers on scene said there were at least 40 children on the buses.
According to MoDOT, both lanes of I-70 West were shut down, and traffic was being diverted.
#I70ADVISORY: Due to the traffic slowdowns on eastbound I-70 at Mineola (Montgomery County/mile marker 167-169), motorists are being advised to use Route 54 and Route 19 (New Florence to Kingdom City) as alternate routes (see map). pic.twitter.com/kS9bz7dYPS
— MoDOT Central Dist (@MoDOT_Central) November 15, 2018
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
