St. Louis, Missouri – Five students and a bus driver were transported to the hospital after a school bus crash near Grand Center Tuesday morning.
The bus was carrying students to Beaumont High School around 6:55 a.m. when the crash occurred.
According to police, a car was heading south on North Grand when it ran a red light, hitting the school bus, which was heading east on Cook.
Photographs of the scene show a school bus in a grassy area beside the intersection of North Grand and Cook. The car that ran the red light, had collided into a pole. The driver of the car was not seriously injured.
A total of seven students were on the bus at the time of the crash, though only five were transported. Police say only minor injuries were reported at this time.
Second School Bus Accident in the Week
This bus crash occurs just one day after a minor bus accident was reported in Wentzville, Missouri.
Research continues to say that buses are the safest way for a child to get to school, yet there are a few added risks that are associated with bus accidents in particular. First, the risk for a tip-over or rollover accident is higher for a school bus than it is for a passenger car. Second, most school buses don’t feature any safety belt or restraint. (This has come into the spotlight recently and many buses have begun to include safety restraints)
So while the risk of a bus accident could be lower than the risk of a car accident, the chances of a more serious injury are likely higher in buses than cars.
Even if your child was injured in a seemingly minor bus accident, we urge you to get the child examined as soon as possible. Since many buses do not have seat belts, and none have airbags, it’s easy for a child to hit their head on the seat in front of them.
If you have any legal questions about bus accidents, and what to do after your child is in a bus crash, feel free to give us a call anytime at 314-444-4444 to talk about your situation.