Multiple people were injured after a charter bus was sideswiped on WB I-70 near Adams Dairy Parkway in Blue Springs.
The Central Jackson County Fire Department said a charter bus from St. Louis was on the side of the road with a flat tire when the bus was sideswiped by a tractor-trailer.
Scene of tour bus wreck @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/2Ymk2QmTFp
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"Something like this, to this extent... We haven't had for a very long time," Assistant Chief Eddie Saffell with the Central Jackson County Fire Department said.
Centerpoint Medical Center had 10 patients with injuries ranging from minor to serious. One person is in critical condition and another is in serious condition. Eight people have been treated and released.
#Breaking: Our Emergency Response crews are headed to overturned tour bus @ WB I-70 past Adams Dairy. #kctraffic pic.twitter.com/yLzZeQOn2z
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"In-attention is the leading cause of crashes, and based on the preliminary statements from the driver, for whatever reason, he was doing something that caused him to run off the roadway," Sgt. Collin Stosberg with the Missouri Highway Patrol said.
Missouri Highway Patrol said the tractor-trailer driver told them that he had put a piece of gum in his mouth when he started to choke on the gum and reached for some water before the crash. The driver was issued a ticket for careless and imprudent driving.
Vince and Associates told 41 Action News that the people on the bus are volunteers for the company's clinical studies. They said they booked the bus through Carey Limousine. The people were picked up in Ferguson, Mo., according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Attorney Tim Dollar, who specializes in helping tractor-trailer crash victims, believes the situation should have been avoided.
"A driver such as this, should have anticipated the potential of a hazard miles away and reacted appropriately, with reduced speed, lane change and evasive actions to make sure he did not create even the potential that some tragedy like this could occur," Dollar said.
As the police investigation continues, Dollar said commercial vehicles are equipped with sharp technology which will help officers understand what led up to the crash.
"The technology can provide information on hard braking, about speed, about gearing, about cruise control and about lane variation, in the moment leading up to the crash," Dollar said.
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