A truck unable stop in time for traffic caused a chain-reaction crash involving three school buses carrying students from a suburban YMCA, leaving as many as 17 people injured Thursday morning, police said.
According to the Lake County Sheriff's office, three loaded school buses were traveling westbound on Route 137 when they slowed for traffic in front of them. The 44-year-old driver of a 1998 Mack Truck was unable to slow in time and struck one of the school buses, pushing it into a second bus and that second bus hit the third.
Authorities said the crash happened just after 11 a.m. near Route 137 and River Road in unincorporated Libertyville.
The buses were carrying children between the ages of 5 and 14 from the North Suburban YMCA Summer Camp in Northbrook. There were a total of 144 campers and camp counselors onboard the three buses, authorities said.
A total of 17 campers and counselors were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, according to the sheriff's office. Camp officials worked with the busing company to bring the children and counselors back to camp.
Paramedics were called to the scene and drivers were urged to avoid the intersection.
Police said no citations had been issued as of Thursday afternoon, but are "likely" for the driver of the truck.
