- Five people, including three children, were killed when a school bus and a semi-truck collided on a highway in western Illinois.
- The bus from Schuyler Technical School crossed the center line and entered the path of a semi-truck hauling sand.
- Both vehicles collided and burst into flames in Rushville, about 90 miles west of Springfield.
A collision between a school bus and a semi-truck on a highway in western Illinois left five people dead, including both drivers and three children, authorities said.
Illinois State Police, citing preliminary findings, said an eastbound bus from Schuyler Industrial School crossed the center line Monday for “unknown reasons” and entered westbound Route 24, in the path of a semi-truck loaded with sand. announced that it had entered the
A truck crashed into a bus around 11:30 a.m. in Rushville, a Schuyler County community of about 3,000 people about 90 miles west of Springfield, leaving both vehicles “engulfed in flames,” state police said. “Ta”. All four people on the bus (three children and the driver) were killed, as was the semi-truck driver.
Semi-truck crashes into school bus in Illinois, killing 3 children and 2 adults
According to state police, the Schuyler County coroner identified the three children as 5-year-old Maria Miller, 3-year-old Andrew Miller and 3-year-old Noah Driscoll, all of Rushville. Identified. The school bus driver was identified as Angela Spiker, 57, of Rushville, and the truck driver was identified as David Coufal, 72, of Browning, Illinois.
Illinois State Police Lt. Jody Huffman speaks at a news conference about the March 11, 2024, collision between a school bus and a semi-truck on a highway in western Illinois that killed five people, including three children. (Illinois State Police Troop 6, via AP)
The county medical examiner said an autopsy will be performed on the victim’s body in Springfield.
Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Redshaw told reporters Monday that the tragedy hit the small, close-knit community especially hard.
“There are no words to say at this time,” he said. “It’s devastating when a life is lost like this.”
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Schuyler Technical School canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday due to the accident.
“It is with regret that our school community announces the loss of both a staff member and a student in a traffic accident involving a school bus this morning,” the district said in a statement.
Illinois officials said the cause of the accident is under investigation by a team from the National Transportation Safety Board and state police.
