Police say they have cited a driver who was driving at a “not reasonable” speed when they slammed into the rear of a stopped school bus, which was occupied with children, in Round Lake Heights.
The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and Round Lake Heights Police Department responded around 7 a.m. Tuesday to the area of Rollins Road and Fairfield Road in Round Lake Heights for a vehicle crash.
Round Lake Heights Chief of Police Eric Schmidtke said officers arrived and found two vehicles, a red Ford Focus and a yellow school bus, involved in a crash.
The Ford was traveling eastbound on Rollins Road at a speed that “is not reasonable or proper for conditions,” Schmidtke said.
The driver of the Ford failed to decrease their speed to avoid a crash, Schmidtke said, adding that the car collided into the rear of a Round Lake Area Schools bus.
The Ford was left partially wedged underneath the bus, which had been completely stopped waiting for the traffic light to change from red to green.
The crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of Rollins Road just west of Fairfield Road. The roadway was partially blocked.
Round Lake Area Schools District told parents that the incident involved bus 16 and it was a “minor accident.”
17 students and the driver were on board the bus, Schmidtke said. The Ford was occupied by only the driver.
“Fortunately, there were no injuries to any student on board,” the message to parents said.
Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Anthony Carraro said that paramedics did not transport anyone to the hospital and fire crews cleared the scene a short time later.
A second school bus was called and took the students, who were bound for Round Lake Middle School, to school after they were released by police from the scene.
A flatbed tow truck removed the damaged Ford and while a heavy-duty wrecker arrived for the school bus, the bus was ultimately driven back to the bus yard.
Schmidtke said the driver of the Ford received a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and was released.