20 Hurt in Basketball Bus Crash

A school bus carrying students and coaches of the Oregon-Howell R-III School District was returning from basketball games on February 15 when the bus ran off the road, injuring twenty. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, victims ranged in age from 13 to 26. The driver of the bus, Victoria Smith, 51, of West Plains, was not listed among the injured. Nineteen of the victims’ injuries were described in the crash report as minor, but one 17-year-old male was taken from the scene by ambulance for treatment of injuries MSHP described as “moderate".
A statement from Oregon County Ambulance called the crash a “mass casualty event” and described how crucial it was to triage the victims. Nearly a dozen law enforcement and EMS agencies responded to the scene to assist.
“A call of this magnitude does not happen often,” said a statement from Oregon County Ambulance, “but these types of calls are something we train for and we were prepared to manage.”
The crash report indicates the bus traveled off the right side of the road and criss-crossed back and forth across Highway 99. After crashing into several trees, the bus came to rest in a ditch about about half a mile north of Thomasville. The crash occurred at 11:15 p.m.
“We are so thankful that everyone has been medically released,” read the statement from Superintendent Seth Bryant. “We will have counselors available for any student who needs assistance during this time. The district’s protocols for bus accidents are being implemented.”