A truck driver has been cited for causing the crash involving three school buses filled with summer camp kids in Libertyville, leaving 17 people hospitalized.
Jorge Tapia-Reves, 44, of Elgin, was charged with one count of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Libertyville Fire Department responded around 11 a.m. Thursday to Route 137 and River Road for a four-vehicle crash.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that three buses carrying children from North Suburban YMCA Summer Camp in Northbrook were involved.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that 148 people, including campers ages 5-14, counselors and four drivers, were evaluated. At least 17 of them were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Covelli said the three school buses were westbound on Route 137 and a 1998 Mack Truck carrying a 2016 Dierzen trailer, driven by Tapia-Reves, was behind the buses.
“The buses began to slow for traffic in front of them, however, the driver of the Mack was unable to slow in time. The front of the Mack Truck struck the rear of the first school bus, which pushed that school bus into the second school bus, and the second school bus into the third,” Covelli said.
Parents were notified by the camp and were asked by the sheriff’s office to stay away from the scene. None of the injuries were believed to be serious, police said.
The dump truck, which was registered to the company Dylan Jr. Trucking, Inc. based in Elgin, was carrying landscaping material, police said. Tapia-Reves is expected to appear in court on September 4.