Bill Graham / The Meridian Star A Mississippi Highway Patrol State Trooper investigates a wreck on U.S. Highway 45 south of Scooba in Kemper County Wednesday afternoon. Three people were killed and several others were injured in the wreck. 

KEMPER COUNTY — Three people were killed and several more were injured when four vehicles collided on U.S. Highway 45 North just south of Scooba Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The crash occurred not far from where eight people were killed in a collision on Monday.

Kemper County Sheriff James Moore said an empty school bus and three other vehicles were involved in the crash, but it was too soon to determine a cause.

The identities of the victims were not immediately released.

Two people were airlifted to hospitals in Meridian, MHP spokesman Sgt. Andy West said. The extent of their injuries wasn’t immediately known.

West said a Chevy pickup headed southbound crossed the median and collided with a school bus, small SUV and a pickup.

A Meridian Public School District bus was involved in the crash, but no students were aboard, said Rob Pilar, a mechanic with the district who was delivering the bus to be swapped out in Scooba.

“I was northbound behind the SUV, and the white pickup truck was behind me,” Pilar said. “The other pickup that lost control was headed southbound (and) got off onto the shoulder into the gravel, fishtailed, lost traction and went sideways in the southbound lane, then came across the median and went airborne, then hit the SUV in front of me, then collided with the side of my bus.”

“Brand new bus, never been on a trip,” said Pilar, who said he wasn’t injured in the collision.

The wreck is the second fatal collision in Kemper County this week. A wreck before dawn Monday killed eight people on Highway 16 east of Scooba.