The incident occurred in Rushville, a small community in Schuyler County, approximately 60 miles west of Springfield.
According to Illinois State Police, the eastbound school bus from Schuyler-Industry Schools inexplicably crossed into the westbound lane, colliding with a sand-carrying semitruck. The impact resulted in both vehicles becoming engulfed in flames, claiming the lives of all four individuals on the bus, identified as three children - 5-year-old Maria Miller, 3-year-old Andrew Miller, and 3-year-old Noah Driscoll - and the bus driver, Angela Spiker, 57. The semitruck driver, David Coufal, 72, also tragically lost his life in the collision.
Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Redshaw expressed the profound impact of the tragedy on the tight-knit community, stating, "There’s not really words at this time that can be said. When you have a loss of life like this, it’s devastating."
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The Schuyler-Industry Schools district mourned the loss of both students and staff in the accident, leading to the cancellation of classes for two days. The National Transportation Safety Board, along with state police, is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash. Autopsies on the victims' bodies will be performed in Springfield, as confirmed by the county coroner.
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