Washington, March 12: Five persons, including three children, were killed in a tragic accident when a school bus collided with a semi-truck on a highway near Rushville, approximately 91 km northwest of the Illinois state capital, Springfield.
Illinois State Police identified the victims as 72-year-old David Coufal, 57-year-old Angela Spiker, 5-year-old Maria Miller, 3-year-old Andrew Miller and 3-year-old Noah Driscoll.
The Illinois State Police said the collision occurred around 11.30 am on Monday, involving a school bus travelling east on US Route 24. The bus inexplicably crossed the centre line into the westbound lanes and crashed into a semitruck transporting sand. Both vehicles erupted in flames following the collision. All four occupants of the school bus, including the driver and three children aged five and two three-year-olds, along with the semitruck driver, were declared dead at the scene.
The school district opted to cancel classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, and further details are awaited.
