SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – The South Dakota Highway Patrol is trying to determine why a semitrailer truck collided with a school bus near Conde and injured four girls and the bus driver. Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Marquardt said Thursday that no citations had been issued, but the investigation continued. Marquardt says the bus, driven by 75-year-old Orrin Freeman of Mellette, stopped at a stop sign before the Wednesday afternoon accident. It entered Highway 20 and was struck by the truck driven by 61-year-old Harold Gerdes of Hecla. A search of state court records found that Gerdes entered guilty pleas to three speeding citations from 1994 to 2007, to a seat belt violation in 1998, and to two overweight loads. No traffic violations were found for Freeman.
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