EMPTY SCHOOL BUS HIT; CAR DESTROYS `WELCOME' SIGN

A Ryder Student Transportation school bus was slightly damaged after being involved in a three-vehicle accident Friday.

Earlier in the day, a man destroyed the "Welcome to Cape Girardeau" sign at Morgan Oak and South Spanish when he hit it with the car he was driving.

The bus accident occurred in the 1500 block of North Kingshighway at about 7:15 a.m. The bus contained no children and was driven by Dana Kibby, 636 Whitelaw, said Cape Girardeau police patrolman Don Hellwege.

The accident occurred on wet pavement when a vehicle driven by Erie Williams, 1533 W. Cape Rock Drive, entered the left-turn lane while traveling north on North Kingshighway to enter Ford Groves, 1501 N. Kingshighway, said Hellwege.

Kibby was driving bus-route 10 and was servicing the Charles C. Clippard Elementary School, said Ryder Student Transportation manager Jim Grissinger. "The Lord smiled on us," Grissinger said of the fact no students were aboard.

As Williams was turning left, his car and a car driven by Sara Ashworth, 228 Estate Dr., collided, Hellwege said. From that impact, the car being driven by Williams was knocked into the bus, which was traveling north on Kingshighway, he said.

Ashworth and Williams were taken to St. Francis Medical Center. Kibby was not injured.

Grissinger said: "This is the first (bus) accident in Cape Girardeau this school year. We really don't have many."

He said there are between 30 and 35 buses operating in Cape Girardeau each weekday, 20 of which are full-size buses. He said there are usually about one or two minor accidents each school year.

"Keep in mind that these buses are designed to keep children very safe," Grissinger said. "The other cars (in the accident) were clobbered, and we just have a dent in our front bumper.

Charged with driving while intoxicated after the car struck the "welcome" sign at 4 a.m. was Roger M. Ziegler, 36, of 3009 Mimosa. Police believe he lost control of the vehicle after coming off the Mississippi River bridge.

The car went into the median of Morgan Oak, struck the sign and went onto the wrong side of the street, where it landed on the bank next to St. Vincent's Seminary's entrance gate.

Police said Ziegler was arrested while walking about two blocks from the accident.