May 26th, 2026 Local News
St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A bus carrying members of the Notre Dame Regional High School baseball team was involved in a single-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on Highway C in St. Francois County, leaving four students injured and postponing a scheduled Class 4 sectional baseball game.
According to the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 2:38 p.m. after receiving reports of a bus accident on Highway C.
Officials say the Notre Dame team was traveling to North County for a varsity baseball matchup when the bus left the roadway in a single-vehicle crash.
Four students were reportedly injured. Authorities say two students were transported by ambulance, while two others were taken by private vehicle for additional medical evaluation.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is leading the crash investigation.
According to the patrol’s online crash report, the accident occurred on westbound Highway C near Richardson Road. Investigators say the 2020 ICBU bus traveled off the right edge of the roadway before the driver overcorrected to the left. The bus then returned to the roadway, traveled off the left side, and struck a ditch.
The patrol reported the bus sustained extensive damage and was towed from the scene.
Authorities identified two injured passengers in the patrol report, both 18-year-old males from Cape Girardeau. One suffered serious injuries and was transported by St. Francois County EMS to Mercy Hospital South. Another suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Parkland Health Center in Bonne Terre.
It remains unclear how many players, coaches, and school personnel were aboard the bus at the time of the accident.
The North St. Francois County Athletic Department later announced Tuesday’s scheduled Class 4 sectional baseball game had been postponed.
School officials say the game will now be played Wednesday at 1 p.m. Officials also noted that tickets already purchased for Tuesday’s contest will still be honored at the rescheduled game.
North County officials stated that fans unable to attend Wednesday’s game may contact MSHSAA through digitaltickets@mshsaa.org regarding ticket concerns.
The sheriff’s department says deputies assisted at the crash scene and the roadway has since reopened to traffic, though motorists may still encounter residual activity in the area.