RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Five people, including three children, were killed Monday after a school bus and semi-truck collided on a highway in western Illinois, authorities said.
The bus was traveling eastbound on Illinois Route 24 when it crossed the center line into the westbound lanes and the path of the semi-truck. Both vehicles were set ablaze in the crash. The crash happened just before noon in Rushville, a community of about 3,000 about 60 miles west of Springfield.
Four people were aboard the school bus — three children and the driver. The driver of the semi-truck was also killed.
“There’s not really words at this time that can be said,” Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Redshaw said at a news conference. “When you have a loss of life like this, it’s devastating.”
The cause of the crash remained under investigation Monday afternoon. The names of the victims have not yet been released.
Schuyler County Coroner Terry Millslagle said the victims’ bodies were being transported to Springfield for autopsies.
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. The Trucker Media Group is subscriber of The Associated Press has been granted the license to use this content on TheTrucker.com and The Trucker newspaper in accordance with its Content License Agreement with The Associated Press.
More has to be said about the drivers of these vehicles. What experience did they have is the big one?
There is too much talk about driver shortages. Too many unqualified drivers are being hired as commercial truck drivers. Too many truck drivers sitting with their left- flip flop foot on the dash, and a cellphone in their right hand.
These people need to be fired from their jobs. There are too many lives at stake.
this is just so very sad. I feel very sad for parents of children, and for the families of the adults. it really makes a person leery of being around large vehicles on the highway. God be with all the families.
It wasn’t the semi drivers fault for this accident, from what I read, it was the bus driver that veered into the other lane and into the path of the semi…however, it really doesn’t matter at all, all that does matter is that lives were lost because someone failed to pay attention.