A young child was injured after a school bus crash that left students and the driver temporarily trapped on the bus due to live power lines near McHenry Monday afternoon.
The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District responded around 4:33 p.m. Monday to the area of Colby Point Road and South Justen Road in unincorporated McHenry for a report of a school bus crash.
Nunda Rural Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said fire crews arrived a short time later and found a full-sized school bus in the ditch just south of Colby Point Road on South Justen Road.
The McHenry School Districts 15 and 156 bus had struck a utility pole, which brought wires down and created additional tensioned utility lines above the vehicle.
Firefighters kept the driver and two children, who were between the ages of 4 and 6, safely on board until ComEd could secure the power to the energized wires, Vucha said.
The occupants were safely removed from the bus shortly before 5:30 p.m. All three occupants were evaluated by paramedics.
One child was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The second child was released to their parents at the scene and the driver was uninjured, Vucha said.
Fire crews remained on scene for nearly two hours monitoring the removal of the school bus and ComEd’s electrical work.
Vucha said the fire district appreciates the assistance from the Cary Fire Protection District, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and the 911 dispatchers.
“We were nearly positive the live wires were not an immediate hazard, but out of an abundance of caution we kept the occupants on the bus until the power was confirmed to be fully secured. Our priority was making sure everyone stayed safe while we managed the scene,” Nunda Rural Fire Protection District Chief Mike Keenan said.
“Given the circumstances, this was the best possible outcome. We also appreciated the representatives from the school district who came to the scene, stayed engaged, and worked collaboratively with our crews throughout the incident,” Keenan said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the cause of the crash.