6 Air Force Reservists Injured In I-94 Crash Near Monticello
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Six members of the Minneapolis-based 934th Civil Engineer Air Force Reserve unit were injured in a rollover crash Thursday afternoon.
A bus carrying the service members was rear-ended by a semi truck at about noon near Monticello in the westbound lanes of Interstate 94.
The bus ended up on one side of the interstate, and the semi on the other.
A witness name Andrea, who was just behind the bus, says she did not notice what happened, but suddenly saw the bus roll over.
"it was definitely scary to see that bus roll, and then kind of mindboggling to see all the military personnel come out of the bus because it was laying on its side," Andrea said.
A passerby captured dramatic footage of several injured reservists lying down outside the bus.
The 934th Airlift Wing told WCCO that 13 Air Force reservists were on the bus and six were injured. One had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital.
News of the crash caused tense moments at the reservist's base, located by Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
"The second report I got was that there were no fatalities, so I'm glad to hear that," said Cmdr. Tony Palashek. "But certainly if there was air ambulance called that would kind of indicate a critical injury, and so our thoughts and prayers are surely with that member."
The reservists were headed to Fargo for training. The bus did not have seat belts.
The Minnesota State Patrol says the reservist who was airlifted is in serious but stable condition.
The others have non-life threatening injuries.
The state patrol says the initial investigation confirms the semi did rear-end the bus.
Neither the state patrol nor the Air Force is releasing the names or the conditions of the injured.