Deadly crash involving two school buses near Grey Summit, Missouri

Federal safety investigators say a 19-year-old driver was texting at the time his pickup truck, two school buses and a tractor-trailer truck collided in a deadly pileup on an Interstate 44 in August last year.

Jessica Brinker, 15, and Daniel Schatz , 19, were killed in the accident on August 5, 2010 on Interstate 44 near Gray Summit.
In a report released shortly after the accident, the Missouri Highway Patrol found that the chain-reaction crash started when a Volvo tractor cab with no trailer, driven by Michael Crabtree, 43, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, slowed down while approaching a construction zone.
A GMC pick-up driven by Schatz then crashed into the tractor cab. The driver of the first school bus, Katherine Shackelford, 75, tried to change lanes, but didn't see the stopped cars in front and hit the other two cars. A second school bus, driven by Kelly Mcennis-Mullenix, 38, then smashed into the back of the first bus.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its report on Monday. The board is scheduled to meet Tuesday to hear the results of an investigation into the accident and make safety recommendations.
The Missouri Highway Patrol crash report says that the bus driver Shackelford was "inattentive," causing her to hit the pick-up truck and Volvo tractor cab. The report also says that the other bus driver, Mcennis-Mullenix, was "following too closely" when the bus she was driving hit the first bus.
Jessica Brinker was killed in the crash while sitting in the back right of the first bus. They believe the impact of the second bus caused her death.
Daniel Schatz was a walk on football player for Mizzou as a freshman, but was not returning to the team this season. Schatz was the son of Republican state senate candidate Dave Schatz.
In addition to the two fatalities, 38 others were injured. The buses were full of 8th-12th grade band students headed to Six Flags from St. James, Missouri.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last week that the problem of texting while driving is getting worse despite a rush by states to ban the practice.