Two Buses and Semi Collide in Gray Summitt, Missouri

Families and students are still picking up the pieces from the multi-vehicle collision between a semi, a pick up truck and two school buses operated by the St. James Missouri school district on August 5, 2010. Two people were killed (one the driver of the pickup and the other one of the schools children) and up to 50 others were transported to hospitals with injuries, most which were called "minor injuries." Our prayers go out to all of those involved and their families and loved ones.

While it is early to assess fault, it appears that there were actually three different collisions:

First, between the pickup truck and the semi, operated by Climate Express Inc.;

The second, when school bus number one slammed into the pickup truck, pinning the pickup between school bus number one and the semi; and

Then the third, when school bus number two, slammed into the back of school bus number one.

With these type of chain reactions, one never knows which collision happened first, but it is clear that both school buses were following too close to have avoided the vehicles directly in front of them. For more details see specifically http://www.kmov.com/news/local/2-buses-tractor-trailer-collide-on-I-44-100036604.html and for updates - http://www.kmov.com

The students on the bus were 8th grade band students from St. James, Missouir on their way to Six Flags.

On the pages that follow, we will discuss the concerns that the family members of the injured children should have, particularly as they related to head injuries and concussions these children might have suffered. Buses, especially school buses are not designed to protect the occupants from head injuries, brain injuries and concussions, when the buses are involved in these types of collisions. There are no seatbelts, no airbags or other safety devices we expect to find in passenger cars. Thus, when a bus comes to a sudden stop as these two buses did, bodies and heads and brains get tossed about, often colliding with hard objects which can cause severe brain injury and concussion.

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