Tragedy struck a western Illinois community on Monday when a school bus collided with a semi, killing a total of five people, including two 3-year-old boys and a 5-year-old girl, authorities said.
The crash happened at around 11:30 a.m. in Rushville, a community of about 3,000 residents roughly 60 miles from Springfield. The bus was traveling eastbound when it crossed the center line on U.S. Route 24 into the westbound lanes “for an unknown reason” and into the path of a semitruck carrying sand, according to Illinois State Police. Both vehicles caught on fire in the crash.
ISP has identified the victims as:
- Andrew Miller, 3, Rushville
- Noah Driscoll, 3, Rushville
- Maria Miller, 5, Rushville
- Angela Spiker, 57, Rushville
- David Coufal, 72, Browning
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Schuyler County Coroner Terry Millslagle said the victims’ bodies were being transported to Springfield for autopsies.
All four people aboard the bus from Schuyler-Industry Schools — three children and the driver — as well as the driver of the semitruck were killed. The school district canceled classes on Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of the crash.
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“It is with a heavy heart that we announce our school community has lost both staff and students in the traffic incident involving one of our school buses this morning,” the school district said in a statement. “Out of respect for everyone involved, no names or further information will be released at this time.”
The cause remained unclear Monday evening. The National Transportation Safety Board, in a statement, said it's sending a team to conduct a safety investigation into the crash.
