Early morning accident involves school bus, pickup

Maryville Public Safety Sgt. Wayne Wilson looks on as an employee from Kizer Collision Repair & Towing prepares to haul a school bus from the scene of a two-vehicle wreck that occurred Monday morning at the intersection of East Main and Depot streets. Thirty-seven children and adults from St. Gregory’s School were aboard the bus, headed for the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, when it was struck on the front driver’s side.

A Jarnik Buses Inc. school bus carrying 37 students and adults from St. Gregory’s School on their way to the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Neb., was involved in a two-vehicle collision at approximately 7:30 a.m. Monday at the intersection of East First and Depot streets.

Maryville Public Safety Sgt. Wayne Wilson said there were no serious injuries in the mishap, which occurred as a pickup truck traveling southbound on Depot struck the eastbound bus on the driver’s side front panel.

The 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup was driven by Carl D. Sherry, 55, of Conception Junction, who was cited for failure to yield.

Traffic at the intersection is controlled by stop signs facing north and south on Depot. East First Street traffic traveling east and west has the right-of-way.

Wilson said the pickup sustained serious damage. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

Public Safety Director Keith Wood said the children aboard the bus were fifth- and sixth-graders accompanied by teachers and other adults assigned to supervise the field trip.

Wood said Nodaway County ambulance crews responded to the wreck, and that paramedics examined more than 20 people at the scene for possible injuries. While several of those examined were shaken up, no one was transported to the hospital.

The St. Gregory’s group was then loaded onto another bus and returned to the school, located at 333 S. Davis Street in Maryville.

St. Gregory’s Principal Susan Martin issued a statement via email to the parents of children attending the parochial school describing Monday as “a day of great thanksgiving for the safety of all of our children … and especially our fifth- and sixth-grade students and their teachers.”

The email stated that the wreck occurred as the loaded bus was leaving Maryville, and confirmed that there were no injuries.

Martin added that the originally-scheduled Omaha field trip had been tentatively rescheduled for May 19.