Illinois police determine 5 individuals, together with 3 youngsters, killed when college bus, semitruck collide

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RUSHVILLE, Sick. — Authorities have recognized the 5 individuals killed in a fiery crash, together with each drivers and three youngsters, when a faculty bus and a semitruck collided alongside a freeway in western Illinois.

The eastbound bus from Schuyler-Trade Faculties crossed the middle line “for an unknown purpose” Monday into westbound U.S. Route 24 and into the trail of a semitruck carrying sand, Illinois State Police mentioned, citing preliminary findings.

Each automobiles “grew to become engulfed in flames” when the truck slammed into the bus round 11:30 a.m. CDT in Rushville, a Schuyler County group of about 3,000 roughly 60 miles west of Springfield, state police mentioned. All 4 individuals aboard the bus — three youngsters and the motive force — had been killed, as was the semitruck driver.

The three youngsters had been recognized by the Schuyler County coroner as 5-year-old Maria Miller, 3-year-old Andrew Miller and 3-year-old Noah Driscoll, all from Rushville, state police mentioned. The varsity bus driver was recognized as Angela Spiker, 57, of Rushville, and the truck driver as David Coufal, 72, of Browning, Illinois.

The county coroner mentioned autopsies can be carried out on the victims’ our bodies in Springfield.

Schuyler County Sheriff Invoice Redshaw instructed reporters Monday that the tragedy had hit the small, close-knit group significantly onerous.

“There’s probably not phrases presently that may be mentioned,” he mentioned. “When you’ve got a lack of life like this, it is devastating.”

Schuyler-Trade Faculties canceled courses Tuesday and Wednesday due to the crash.

“It’s with a heavy coronary heart that we announce our college group has misplaced each employees and college students within the site visitors incident involving one in every of our college buses this morning,” the college district mentioned in an announcement.

The reason for the crash is underneath investigation by a Nationwide Transportation Security Board workforce and state police, the Illinois company introduced.

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