One dead after accident involving school bus and three cars in Clay County. No serious injuries on bus

One person was pronounced dead after the car they were traveling in was involved in a four-vehicle crash involving a school bus in Clay County.

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

To avoid a collision with the left-turning car, a black sedan swerved to avoid a westbound school bus, Ewing said. The black sedan struck another car while swerving and was thrown into a third car after hitting the bus, Ewing said.

One of the occupants of the black sedan was pronounced dead, Ewing said. The highway patrol is currently investigating a possible second death.

According to Ewing and Superintendent Justin Collins, the school bus came from the Gallatin RV School District in Gallatin, Missouri.

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

According to Ewing, there were 17 passengers on the bus at the time of the accident. Two were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

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

Collins and the Gallatin RV School District were not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

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

According to state figures, 332 people have been involved in 123 traffic accidents involving buses in Missouri since the beginning of the year. One person was killed and 123 people were injured in these accidents.