OWENSVILLE — A mass casualty incident occurred around 10:45 a.m. Saturday in Hermann when a 2000 Freightliner M Line shuttle bus (trolley bus) transporting 41 passengers left the roadway and struck a ditch.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Troop F crash report, conducted by Trooper T.W. Brewer, the 45-year-old male driver, was traveling westbound on State Highway 100 west of Eagles Nest Drive when the shuttle bus traveled off the right side of the roadway. The driver over-corrected and traveled off the left side of the road and struck a ditch.

According to the crash report, the driver was flown from the scene by ARCH Air Ambulance to University

Hospital with serious injuries. Additional transports and injuries included 18 occupants who were transported to Hermann Area Hospital, 10 to Mercy Washington Hospital, and five to University Hospital. Of those transported, four had serious injuries, 11 had moderate injuries, 17 had minor injuries, and one had no reported injuries.

Several helped with the crash investigation, including Msgt. C.G. Holzschuh, Trp. K.W. Kaiser, Cpl. J.M. Langley, Cpl. J.W. Servais, Cpl. J.S. Huskey, Cvo. D.J. Hartmann, and the Gasconade County Sheriff’s Office.

A Facebook post on May 3 by the Hermann Area Volunteer Fire Department noted emergency services agencies and law enforcement personnel were dispatched around 10:51 a.m. to an area on Highway 100 west of Hermann where a commercial passenger vehicle was located off the roadway into the woods with 41 patients and multiple, varying degrees of injuries. A mass casualty incident was toned to bring in additional resources from surrounding areas.

“A total of 10 ambulances were dispatched from surrounding districts and an air ambulance was requested,” according to the Hermann Area Volunteer Fire Department’s post. “Hermann Area District Hospital was contacted to activate their MCI (mass casualty incident) protocol to prepare for an increase in patients.”

Ambulances were dispatched from Hermann Ambulance District, Gerald Area Ambulance District, Owensville Area Ambulance District, Osage Ambulance District, and New Haven Area Ambulance District. A total of 14 firefighters, 20 paramedics and EMTs, and a flight crew were on scene.

“All patients had been extricated and transported within 40 minutes of units arriving on scene,” Hermann Fire reported. The roadway was open again by 1:30 p.m. for normal traffic use.