In a devastating incident unfolding in Rushville, Illinois, five individuals, including three innocent children, lost their lives on Monday following a fatal collision between a school bus and a semi-truck.
According to authorities, the calamitous event occurred on Illinois Route 24, where the eastbound school bus veered across the center line into the westbound lanes, directly into the path of the oncoming semi-truck. The collision ignited both vehicles in a fiery inferno. Rushville, a tight-knit community of approximately 3,000 residents, situated some 60 miles west of Springfield, bore witness to this heart-wrenching tragedy just before noon.
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The occupants of the school bus comprised four individuals: three children and the driver. Tragically, all four perished in the accident, alongside the driver of the semi-truck.
The Schuyler County Coroner’s Office has identified the victims as follows:
- David Coufal, 72, of Browning
- Angela Spiker, 57, of Rushville
- Maria Miller, 5, of Rushville
- Andrew Miller, 3, of Rushville
- Noah Driscoll, 3, of Rushville
Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Redshaw expressed the profound grief and sorrow felt by the community, emphasizing the indescribable loss incurred by such a tragic event. “There’s not really words at this time that can be said,” Sheriff Redshaw conveyed during a press briefing. “When you have a loss of life like this, it’s devastating.”
The investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing, with authorities working diligently to ascertain the circumstances leading to this catastrophic incident.
Schuyler County Coroner Terry Millslagle has confirmed that the bodies will be transported to Springfield for comprehensive autopsies, shedding further light on the grim aftermath of this heartrending collision.