Three recent bus accidents in Excelsior Springs have brought attention to school bus safety in Excelsior Springs. On December 15th, a 7-year-old boy was struck by a pick-up truck while getting off a school bus. The driver of the truck fled the scene and the boy was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
On December 16th the Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced that Kyle P. Barrett, 39, of Lawson, Mo., was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury. He is being held in the Clay County detention center on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled for trial on Feb 09, 2023, at Clay County Circuit Court, Circuit Court.
On January 23rd, a school bus was involved in a two-car accident with another vehicle on Tiger Drive, near the community center and high school. There were no students on the bus at the time of the accident and no significant injuries were reported.
On January 24th, another school bus was involved in an accident at 143rd & M highway when an oncoming vehicle collided with the bus, breaking a mirror and small driver’s window. All students on the bus were safe and unharmed and were loaded onto another bus to be delivered to their school.
These incidents have raised concerns about school bus safety and the Excelsior Springs School District is urging parents and residents to be vigilant when driving near school buses and to report any suspicious or reckless behavior on the road.
There are several things we as a community can do to help improve school bus safety.
- Educate drivers: The community can work with schools and local law enforcement to educate drivers on the laws and guidelines for safely driving near school buses. This can include information on the proper stopping distance for school buses and the importance of obeying flashing lights and stop signs on school buses.
- Promote awareness: Raise awareness about school bus safety through campaigns and events, such as “School Bus Safety Week” to remind drivers to be extra cautious when driving near school buses.
- Enhance infrastructure: Excelsior Springs’ investments in infrastructure improvements will make it safer for children to walk or bike to school and make it easier for school buses to safely drop off and pick up students. The coming improvements include things like sidewalks and crosswalks.
- Implement technology: Technology such as cameras on school buses and in school zones to help monitor and enforce safety regulations.
- Active monitoring: Encourage parents and community members to report any unsafe behavior they observe around school buses, such as drivers passing stopped buses or reckless driving in school zones.
It’s important to remember that school bus safety is a shared responsibility and everyone in the community should be aware of the risks and take action to prevent accidents.
