Knoxville — Several emergency responders were called to an accident at approximately 3:35 p.m. Monday afternoon, as a Knoxville Community School Bus driven by Annette Pitt, 53, of Knoxville, was involved in an accident with a 2005 Toyota Prius driven by Kendra Dorn, 19, of Oskaloosa.
According to accident reports, Dorn was traveling eastbound and failed to stop at a stop sign at 135th Place while Pitt was traveling southbound. Edwin Smith, 21, of Knoxville was also a passenger with Dorn and was transferred to Knoxville Hospital. According to the report Smith was not wearing his seatbelt.
The investigation is ongoing. Marion County Sheriff Ron Goemaat believes the bus, which was carrying many school children, rolled over.
Dorn was taken via ambulance to the Knoxville Hospital. Approximately eight children, a portion of the total number of children on the bus, who appeared to be of various ages, were transported to KHC and Pella Regional Health Center to be treated for what were believed to be minor injuries. The children were carried to the ambulances on stretchers, with neck supports, as a precaution.
Knoxville Fire Chief Mike Roberts reports there were seven other children who refused transport. Their parents came for them.
"It totally amazed me how organized the kids were and how the teenagers did a great job of getting the younger students off the bus and into a line," Roberts said.
Mercy One was among the many agencies who responded. The helicopter transported Pitt to Des Moines.
Knoxville Schools' Transportation Director Joe Klootwyk arrived on the scene at approximately 4 p.m. with another bus. Several uninjured students, who were also in the accident, waited on the scene. Klootwyk did not know the total number of children who were on the bus at the time of the accident.
Literally dozens of first responders from Knoxville Fire/Rescue, the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Deaprtment, Columbia Fire/Rescue, Pella Ambulance, Melcher-Dallas Fire/Rescue, Bussey Fire/Rescue and Knoxville Township Fire Department tended to the children. The children sat in a dry, hillside ditch to receive preliminary treatment. One by one, those who required ambulance transport, were loaded into the emergency vehicles. Goemaat said the children were shaken, and wanted their parents.
The Iowa State Patrol was on scene as well. They began an investigation into the accident.
The Prius' windshield and driver's side were heavily damaged. The passenger side airbag was deployed.
The investigation is ongoing. Look to www.journalexpress.net and the Journal-Express for more details as they become available.
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