23 students sent to hospital after bus crash; no major injuries

ALTON — Twenty-three Mission school district students were sent to the hospital Wednesday morning after a bus and two other vehicles collided, officials said.

The crash occurred about 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Mayberry Road and 5 Mile Line, said Mission schools spokesman Craig Verley.

The bus was traveling east on 5 Mile Line when the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck apparently pulled out in front of it. The bus collided with the truck and then struck a Nissan that was westbound on 5 Mile Line, said Enrique Sotelo, Alton interim police chief.

The 23 students aboard the school bus were headed to Rafael Cantu Junior High School in Palmhurst. Ambulances took them to area hospitals for treatment. The driver of the Chevrolet truck was also sent to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

No major injuries were reported.

School district officials notified parents of the hospital to which their children were sent, Verley said.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.