Two dead after Clay County crash involving school bus, 3 cars. No serious injuries on bus

Update: Two occupants of the car struck by the bus have been reported deceased Wednesday night, with a third in critical condition.

One person has been reported dead after the car they were traveling in was involved in a 4-vehicle crash with a school bus in Clay County.

The crash involved three cars traveling westbound at Route 92 and Highway A, between Smithville and Kearney, said Corporal Justin Ewing, a spokesperson for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The crash, reported around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, was a chain reaction that started when a car driving westbound stopped in the middle of highway traffic to make a left turn, Ewing told The Star.

In order to avoid a collision with the left-turning car, a black passenger sedan swerved into the path of a school bus driving westbound, Ewing said. The black sedan clipped another car while swerving, and was thrown back into a third car after being struck by the bus, Ewing said.

One of the people traveling in the black sedan was declared dead, Ewing said. The highway patrol is currently investigating a potential second fatality.

The school bus came from the Gallatin R-V School District in Gallatin, Missouri, according to Ewing and superintendent Justin Collins.

The bus had been carrying Gallatin High School students back from back from a Future Business Leaders of America conference, Collins wrote in a social media post from the district. Gallatin students attended the FBLA’s national competition in Orlando, Florida from June 29 to July 2.

At the time of the crash, the bus was carrying 17 passengers, according to Ewing. Two have been transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

“We are relieved to report that all students and staff members on the bus have been accounted for and are safe,” Collins wrote Wednesday. “We would like to thank our staff members for their very swift response and attention to our students during this time.”

Collins and the Gallatin R-V School District were not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Troop A of the Missouri State Highway Patrol is still actively investigating the crash, Ewing said. The makes and models of the three cars involved in the accident, as well as the identities of all passengers involved, are not yet publicly known.

Since the beginning of the year, 332 people have been involved in 123 traffic accidents involving buses in Missouri, according to state data. As a result of these crashes, one person has been killed and 123 people have been injured.