School bus accident in Missouri

[Len Silva]

Looks pretty bad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100805/ap_on_re_us/us_school_bus_accident
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/05/missouri.bus.wreck/index.html

There appears to be a car underneath the bus that is on top of the truck.

[Nusa]

Another: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38577436/ns/us_news-life/

The busses look amazingly intact, considering the forces that had to be involved to get that result.

More info: http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-interstate44-school-bus-semi-crash-080510,0,386455.story

GRAY SUMMIT, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - A very serious accident happened on Interstate 44 and Highway 100 near Gray Summit, Missouri around 10:30am Thursday. Two people are confirmed dead, but there are no other details at this time. The buses were full of students from St. James High School on their annual band trip to 6 Flags in Eureka. As many as 50 students total were on the buses.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, at about 10:15am, in the eastbound lanes of I-44, traffic was backed up in the right hand lane, ahead of construction farther along the highway in Pacific. A GMC pickup rear-ended a Volvo semi tractor in the right hand. The driver of the first school bus, carrying the girls from the John. F. Hodges High School marching band, saw a vehicle on the right shoulder and moved over to the left lane to avoid that car.

While she was checking her mirrors to make sure it was safe to return to the right lane, she did not see the GMC had hit the tractor. The first bus then hit the GMC truck and the tractor. The second bus, carrying the boys, then hit the back of the first bus.

The Highway Patrol says the driver of the GMC pickup was killed, as was one female student on the first bus.

The speed limit on that stretch of highway is 70 miles an hour.

There was no construction actually in the stretch where the accident occurred. There are, however, lane closures farther along near Pacific, Missouri where construction has been ongoing. Traffic backs up in the area as vehicles move over to the right lane.

All lanes of eastbound I-44 are currently closed and will be for quite some time while the accident reconstruction team and the cleanup take place.

12:30pm - because the field trip was headed to Six Flags, many of the students had not brought their cell phones because they planned on playing in the water park.

At this time, school officials are calling the parents of students who are injured, but not calling parents of students that are not injured.

12:15pm - one bus had girls from the band, the other had all the boys

12:10pm - 1 of the 36 children taken to Cardinal Glennon has been taken to St. Louis Children's Hospital. Accident victims were also taken to St. Clare Hospital in Fenton and St. John's Mercy in Washington, Missouri.

11:55am - 36 children with minor injuries have been taken to Cardinal Glennon Childrens Medical Center.

11:40am - Two people have been confirmed dead, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The parent of a student on board a wrecked school bus says the bus in front of his slammed into a car (possibly a mini-van) and a tractor trailer. The students are from St. James High school and are members of the band. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says they believe there is one fatality and are still working the accident. Several students have been transported to area hospitals. Pictures from SkyFOX show at least seven children being taken away on stretchers.

Other students have been put on a charter bus. It happened just before 10:30 a.m. on Interstate 44 and Highway 100 near Gray Summit. The children were reportedly heading to Six Flags. The band's website says this is their annual trip to Six Flags.

Two school buses are reportedly involved. One of the buses involved was carrying around 50 children. One patient had to be airlifted from the scene to St. John's Mercy Medical Center. The eastbound lanes of Interstate 44 are closed. There is at least a two-mile backup.

So it sounds like the direct cause is driver failure in 3 vehicles....the GMC and both busses. The indirect cause is backed up traffic.

[bevans6]

I thought driver error as well.  What a shame.  You have to look so far down the road...

Brian

[Len Silva]

I don't know that I'm ready to draw any conclusion about the SUV driver.  The bus drivers were clearly at fault, no matter what the circumstances were.

It seems to happen fairly often that buses in a caravan, whether school buses or commercial, all get involved in the same accident.

[Busted Knuckle]

I don't know that I'm ready to draw any conclusion about the SUV driver.  The bus drivers were clearly at fault, no matter what the circumstances were.

It seems to happen fairly often that buses in a caravan, whether school buses or commercial, all get involved in the same accident.

Len,
While I agree it is not the Pick Up/SUV drivers fault they were rear ended.
It was said the "Pick up" had rear ended the semi-tractor (bobtail trk) prior to being hit from the rear.

SO while the fact it was rear ended may not be a direct result of it rear ending the truck. It does appear that driver was also "at fault" for rear ending the truck, prior to being "sandwiched" ('er I mean "Jammed")

In any case it is a very sad and unfortunate situation anyway you look at it.
;(  BK  ;(

[RJ]

It seems to happen fairly often that buses in a caravan, whether school buses or commercial, all get involved in the same accident.

Len -

Sad, but true!  And 18-wheeler jockeys are even worse!  (I know, they're "drafting" to improve fuel mileage, but still!)

Way back when I worked in the charter bus industry, the company that paid my salary had a standing policy of one coach length of separation for each 10 mph of speed.  We'd often see competitor's buses running down the hiway practically elephant style - nose to tail, but that was strictly forbidden at OBS.

It was all right if there were a few cars in between the buses, but the main thing was keeping the separation between the heavy vehicles.  By doing so, it also provided that additional visual margin of safety, allowing you some time to react to developing situations.

We all should use this as a learning experience - Don't Tailgate!

Prayers to the families of the two who didn't survive. . .

[Len Silva]

I don't like being behind a large vehicle because I can't see a mile down the road.  I don't know how many times I have slowed because of some activity ahead, but the vehicles in front of me wait until the last minute and have to lock them up, slip-sliding around.

[bryanhes]

Speaking of drafting, I saw four buses running down I-44 just outside Tulsa and the last one could not have been more than 25 feet behind the other at about 70- 75 mph. I just shook my head and thought I hope no one has to jam on the brakes 

Bryan

[jackhartjr]

RJ, I will assure you that some truck drivers still tailgate...however I don't think it is as much to save fuel as it is just bad habit.
Most of us know that following to close is a "Serious Traffic Violation" and that two of them in a 3 year period will cost your CDL for 60-days.
(Other "Serious Traffic Violations" are speeding 15 or more over, lane change violations, recklees driving and a couple more.)
Jack

[robertglines1]

do the majority of school bus driver belong on a interstate ??not their natural daily drive or skill set..looks like a compounding of mistakes with the truck driver being the only non responsible person here..poor odds of happening..prayers for the victum's..Bob

[belfert]

Isn't it easier to drive a school bus on a nice open freeway than on residential streets where drivers are constantly making turns and manuevering down streets that may be narrow, twisting and full of obstacles?

I saw one of the photos and I don't quite understand how a bus ended up on top of a semi.  That had to be quite the crash.

[jackhartjr]

Brian, I am thinking the pickup was used as sort of a launch ramp for the bus.  The pickup is under the bus and bob-tail.
Jack