5 killed, including 3 children, after school bus collides with semi-truck; victims identified

RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Five people, including three children, were killed on Monday after a school bus collided with a semi-truck in western Illinois, authorities said.

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According to the Illinois State Police, the accident occurred just before noon CDT in Rushville, a town of approximately 3,000 residents located about 60 miles west of Springfield, WQAD-TV reported.

State patrol identifies victims

Update 9:35 p.m. EDT March 11: According to WQAD-TV, the Illinois State Police released the names of the victims.

• David Coufal, 72, of Browning, Illinois;
• Angela Spiker, 57, of Rushville, Illinois;
• Maria Miller, 5, of Rushville;
• Andrew Miller, 3, of Rushville;
• Noah Driscoll, 3, of Rushville.

Schuyler-Industry Schools canceled classes for Tuesday and Wednesday because of the crash, according to the television station.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce our school community has lost both staff and students in the traffic incident involving one of our school buses this morning,” the school district said in a statement.

Original report: The two vehicles collided at the intersection of U.S. 24 and Parkville Road in Rushville. State police said three children, the bus driver and the driver of the semi-truck were killed, according to the television station.

Police said the driver and three children were the only people on the bus.

During a news conference, police said the bus was headed west on U.S. 24 when it crossed into the eastbound lane and hit the truck, WGEM-TV reported. The semi was carrying sand, according to the television station.

Both vehicles were engulfed in flames, according to KQHA-TV.

“There’s not really words at this time that can be said,” Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Redshaw said during a news conference, according to WQAD. “Schuyler County is a small county, a small community. Rushville, Illinois, is a close-knit family. When you have a loss of life like this, it’s devastating.”

The names of the persons who died in the crash have not been released but their families have been contacted, the television station reported.

Schuyler County Coroner Terry Millslagle said the bodies were transported to Springfield for autopsies.

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