Sheriff’s deputies cited the driver of a pickup truck who said he was reaching into his back seat for an item and wasn’t able to stop in time before rear-ending a Gavin School District 37 bus that was unloading a student on Route 59 in Fox Lake Hills last Thursday.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Villa Fire Protection District and Fox Lake Fire Protection District responded at 2:44 p.m. Thursday to Route 59 north of Knolls Court in Fox Lake Hills for a two-vehicle crash.
Emergency responders arrived and found a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado and a Blue Bird school bus, belonging to Gavin School District 37 in Ingleside, involved in a crash in the northbound lanes of Route 59.
The Chevrolet sustained heavy front-end damage after crashing into the back of the school bus. The school bus sustained only minor damage to its rear.
There were 11 students on the bus, but none of them required ambulance transport to the hospital, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.
The driver of the pickup truck, a 31-year-old unincorporated Round Lake man, was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with minor injuries.
The school bus driver was not transported to the hospital by paramedics but was instead driven to the hospital by someone else after the crash, Covelli added.
The students were transferred to their parents or guardians or were transferred to another school bus to get home for the day.
An investigation by deputies showed that both the Chevrolet and the school bus were traveling northbound on Route 59, with the Chevrolet behind the bus, Covelli said.
The bus stopped and unloaded students at Route 59 and Knolls Court.
After the stop, the bus continued traveling northbound.
The man driving the Chevrolet told deputies he reached into the back seat of his truck for an item, not knowing the bus was making another stop in front of a home in the 37300 block of Route 59, just north of Knolls Court and south of West Arcade Drive, Covelli said.
The man was not able to stop in time and crashed into the back of the bus.
Deputies cited him for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
Gavin School District 37 Superintendent Dr. Scott Schwartz told Lake and McHenry County Scanner, “We are grateful that no students or our bus driver sustained any serious injuries. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority.”
“We want to thank the emergency response teams who arrived quickly and assisted at the scene. Their prompt and professional response was greatly appreciated. We were also grateful to our families for their patience and understanding as we navigated the situation and worked to ensure students were cared for and returned home safely,” the superintendent added.