The National Transportation Safety Board was on its way to Gray Summit, Mo., to investigate a crash in a highway construction zone involving two activity school buses, a bobtail tractor and another vehicle that killed a teenage girl and injured at least 50 others, many of them fellow bandmates of the deceased.
Several outlets including the Associated Press, NPR and local news stations were reporting that the two buses, one of which was carrying the female student who died, were destined for the Six Flags St. Louis amusement park when the crash occurred. The girl was killed after the bus she was riding in crashed into an SUV that had just run into the rear of the semi-truck cab, which investigators say was apparently slowing down ahead of a construction zone. The first bus then overode the back of the trailer, and a second school bus proceeded to strike the right rear of the first school bus. The driver of the SUV was also killed.
The crash occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m. Central time. Initial reports indicated that the collision of the second bus into the right rear of the first school bus caused the girl's death.
According to KMOV.com in St. Louis, the girl was riding in the rear right seating area of her school bus. Reports from the Missouri Highway Patrol indicated that the girl's fatal injuries were caused when the second school bus struck the right rear area of her school bus.
The crash occurred on Interstate 44 near the exit to State Highway 100 outside of Gray Summit, about 40 miles west of St. Louis. The school buses were taking eighth- through 12th-graders from St. James (Mo.) School District in the southwest part of the state, about half-way between Springfield and St. Louis. One other motorist of an SUV involved in the crash also died. News reports indicated that there were at least 50 injuries, most of them children transported to various local hospitals.
One student-band member who appeared to escape the crash with little or no injuries described the impact to KMOV as "pretty large" and everything happened "very quick." He added that the evacuation went smoothly but that he "smelled gas."
The NTSB investigation team was expected on the scene by Thursday evening. It will include NTSB Member Christopher A. Hart. NTSB announced in a statement that he will serve as the on-scene spokesman. Senior Highway Investigator Peter Kotowski was designated as the investigator-in-charge, and Public Affairs Officer Terry Williams is also accompanying the team.
A statement on the St. James School District Web site said: "Our top concern right now is the safety and well-being of our kids. Every single child is being examined at a hospital or trauma center. Each medical facility is notifying families directly and releasing students to their parents."
Phone and e-mail messages left by School Transportation News with the Missouri Highway Patrol had yet to be returned. Updates to this story will be made as additional details come in.