Fatal School Bus Crash Near Kansas City>

Monday, May 09, 2005>

LIBERTY, Mo. В— A school bus crashed into two other vehicles as it>approached a suburban Kansas City intersection Monday morning, killing two>people in the cars and injuring more than 20 children.>

Both other vehicles were nearly demolished. Missouri Highway Patrol>spokeswoman Angie Weddington confirmed those killed were in the cars.>

"Obviously it's a worst nightmare, basically," Liberty School>Superintende­nt Scott Taveau said. "This is a community that cares about>kids and cares about education. This is a tragedy for this community.">

Two people were critically injured, Liberty City Administrator Patty>Gentrup said, but she could not say if they were children.>

Denise Seley, a spokeswoman for Liberty Hospital, said three>children were airlifted to Children's Mercy Hospital. She had no>information on their conditions.>

Another child had emergency surgery at Liberty Hospital, but no details>were available.>

"It was mostly bumps and bruises, but some fractures," Seley said of the>injuries. "The most serious were internal injuries.">

Twenty-three students were taken to hospitals, with 15 others released to>their parents, Taveau said. He said he had no information on the>children's conditions.>

The bus was taking kindergartners through fifth-graders to Ridgeview>Elementar­y School when the crash happened about 8:30 a.m. Police>said the cars had apparently stopped at a stoplight when the approaching>bus suddenly veered to the right and slammed into them. The bus driver was>not injured.>

Workers from a nearby Hy-Vee grocery store rushed to help.>

"Why don't they have safety belts on school buses?" Vickie Whattoff, one>of the workers, asked. "A lot of the injuries were from kids flying>forward and hitting the seat in front of them.">

Another worker, Kristin Bosak, said the children were crying for their>parents and several were bleeding badly.>

Frantic parents showed up at the scene despite pleas from the district>that parents stay away. Large tarps were placed over the two other>vehicles, perhaps to shield children from the frightening scene.>