19 Bolivar students, staff injured in Missouri 13 bus crash treated and released

Seventeen third-graders and two school employees were treated at Citizens Memorial Hospital after a Bolivar school bus crash Thursday afternoon.

Superintendent Richard Asbill said late Thursday that all 19, including the bus driver, had been released. He said the injuries were mostly bumps, bruises and cuts.

"She did the best that she could do under the circumstances when you're going down 13 highway and a bale of hay comes off a trailer and you're driving a school bus...you have very limited options," said Asbill, who spoke to the bus driver at the scene. "Her efforts to help and be defensive (as a driver) were positive. I think she did what she could d at the time and we are just really fortunate."

The accident was reported at 1:50 p.m. Thursday on Missouri 13, just south of Bolivar near the Pitchfork Restaurant, which is located at 4894 S. 138th Road.

"We are just very blessed, very fortunate, that our students and staff were not seriously injured but we have some significant injuries and bumps and bruises and we know that there is going to be some emotional trauma from this as well," Asbill said. "It is going to take time to help everybody work through that."

Asbill said school counselors responded to the intermediate school Friday and will be available as needed through next week. The final day of class is My 25.

"We had some abrasions on the forehead. We had abrasions on knees, arms," Asbill said. "We had a few students who complained that their ankle hurt or their knee hurt from hitting the seat."

Two third-grade classes and their teachers were returning to Bolivar after a field trip to Smallin Civil War Cave in Ozark. A total of 35 were on board.

Braden Berg, director of communications, said the bus was behind a truck carrying hay when a large bail fell off the back and landed in the middle of the roadway.

Berg said the bus driver attempted to avoid hitting the hay bale but was unable to avoid it and then lost control and drove through the median.

The bus crossed the southbound lanes of Missouri 13 and landed in the west ditch. The badly damaged bus did not hit any other vehicles.

Asbill thanked police, fire and emergency first-responders for responding to the scene. He said the district works with the local agencies and the hospital to prepare for emergencies.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 19 Bolivar students, staff injured in bus crash treated and released