A school bus and tractor semi-trailer collided on Route 24, resulting in five fatalities.
The crash took place on Monday at around 11:30 a.m., in Rushville, Illinois, located 60 miles west of Springfield. The Illinois State Police preliminary reports indicated the school bus was traveling east on Route 24 and for an unknown reason crossed into the westbound lanes, in front of the semi-truck, which was reportedly hauling sand. The semi-truck then struck the school bus and both vehicles were engulfed in flames.
The semi-truck driver, school bus driver, and all three school bus student passengers were killed. No other children or adults were on board. The fatalities were identified as truck driver David Coufal, 72, school bus driver Angela Spiker, 57, and students Maria Miller, 5, Andrew Miller, 3, and Noah Driscoll, 3.
It is unknown at this time if the school bus was equipped with seatbelts.
Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Redshaw said during a press conference that Schuyler County is a small county, a small community, and a close-knit family. “To have lost lives like this, it’s devastating, a tragedy. Prayers go out to the families,” he said.
Schuyler-Industry Schools canceled school on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board posted on X that it is sending a team to conduct a safety investigation into the collision.
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