The Missouri State Highway Patrol has identified those involved in a Mapaville State School bus accident that happened at 3:05 p.m. Monday (April 14) on Hwy. Z just west of Persimmon Point Drive near Mapaville.
Polly J. Cardona, 67, of Hillsboro was driving the bus, and the passengers included an assistant – Sherri M. Crow, 49, of Festus – and four students – Sean P. Darnell, 18, of Arnold; Matthew T. Fasnacht, 14, of Pevely; John P. Kriete, 15, of Pevely; and Krystal M. Wilkinson, 12, of Pevely, the patrol reported.
Cardona was driving the bus, a 2011 International 3000, east on Hwy. Z, ran off the right edge of the road and struck a mailbox before she overcorrected to the left and lost control of the bus, which returned to the road and then ran off the left side and overturned, the report said.
Cardona had minor injuries, and the passengers were not hurt, according to the report.
However, they were all taken by Joachim-Plattin Ambulance to Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City as a precautionary measure, authorities reported.
All were treated and released, said hospital spokesman John Winkelman.
Mapaville State School enrolls students with serious disabilities, and that’s why everyone was taken to the hospital to be checked out, said Mapaville Fire Protection District Chief Darryl Reed.
The bus, owned by First Student Inc., is a small one, so it has seat belts, and everyone but Crow was wearing a seat belt, the patrol reported.
Reed said the accident occurred under rainy conditions on the two-lane, curvy roadway.
Officials closed Hwy. Z between Jarvis and Sandy Creek roads while they tended to victims and investigated the accident, he said.