Eight injured in school bus accident

BERTRAND -- A Sikeston woman and seven children were injured in a two-vehicle accident involving a school bus Wednesday morning in Mississippi County.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at 7 a.m. on Highway 62 in Bertrand when the eastbound Charleston R-1 school bus operated by James L. Stone, 52, of East Prairie was coming to a stop to pick up students and was struck in the rear by the eastbound vehicle driven by Ashton N. Fisher, 18, of Sikeston.

Fisher received serious injuries and was flown to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

The following students received minor injuries and were taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston: Brian A. Birdwell, 5; Veronica Birdwell, 7; Aalyah Coopwood, 12; Brianna J. Gephart, 10; Araya A. Tipler, 9; Dakota P. Wright, 12, all of Bertrand; and Sierra L. Myers, 13, of Charleston.