Illinois State Police said a school bus crossed into the path of a semi truck in Rushville, west of Springfield, this morning, killing three children, the bus driver and truck driver.
It happened around 11:30 a.m. on U.S. 24 by Parkview Road. Authorities said the truck, carrying sand, was traveling east on the highway. The bus, carrying three pre-kindergarten students, was traveling the opposite direction. After impact, both vehicles caught fire.
An investigation is underway as to what might have caused the accident. The road was closed for several hours.
The following identifications have been confirmed by the Schuyler County coroner:
David Coufal, 72-year-old male from Browning
Angela Spiker, 57-year-old female from Rushville
Maria Miller, 5-year-old female from Rushville
Andrew Miller, 3-year-old male from Rushville
Noah Driscoll, 3-year-old male from Rushville
"Schuyler County is a small county, a small community," said the county sheriff Bill Redshaw. "It's a close knit family and when you have lost a life like this, it's devastating. It's quite a tragedy."
The Rushville Fire Department, Rushville Police Department, Schuyler County Fire Protection District, Schuyler Ambulance, and the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department all responded to the accident.
(The story has been updated from the original post.)
