18-year-old Wappapello man air lifted after collision with Neelyville school bus

An 18-year-old Wappapello, Missouri, man was air lifted Wednesday, March 15, after the vehicle he was driving collided with a Neelyville, Missouri, school bus, officials reported. No students on the school bus were injured in the wreck, which occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on Highway 67 near the intersection of MM Highway.

Joseph Charest was air lifted to a Memphis, Tennessee, hospital with serious injuries, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported Wednesday afternoon. He was southbound in a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix when the collision occurred as a 2016 Neelyville school bus was stopped on the highway, according to reports. The Grand Prix was totaled, troopers said.

Family posted to social media requesting prayers on his behalf, but additional information regarding his condition was not available as of Wednesday afternoon.

Superintendent Heather Black said 47 students ranging from third grade to 12th grade were on the bus at the time, but no injuries were reported. The bus sustained moderate damage, but was able to be driven back to the school.

Parents and guardians were notified of the incident and students were redirected to a secondary bus and taken to school.

A statement was released Wednesday morning by Black, saying students who were involved in the crash had been cleared on site by EMTs.

Both lanes of the highway were temporarily shut down because of the collision.

The roadway was reopened prior to 12:30 p.m., according to MSHP Sgt. Clark Parrott, who explained that because of the nature of the wreck and involvement of a school bus, extra time had to be taken to investigate the crash site before the clean-up. Traffic was diverted to highways 142 and 158 during that time.