School Bus Crashes North Of Bemidji; Multiple Injuries With 1 Airlifted
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Authorities in northern Minnesota are investigating after a school bus was involved in an accident Wednesday morning.
According to the Bemidji Independent School District, school bus No. 25 was involved in the accident at around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Movil Lake Road and Irvine Avenue. A passenger car struck the rear of the bus, which led to it landing in the west ditch on its side.
Sheriff Phil Hodnapp says the driver of the passenger car was unfamiliar with the area, drove through a stop sign and crashed into the bus.
Superintendent Dr. Jim Hess says many students suffered bumps and bruises as the bus tipped on its side. One student was airlifted for medical treatment and five others were taken from the accident scene in an ambulance.
All children were taken to Sanford Health for examination and will then be taken to their schools, Hess said.
"It's my understanding that none of the injuries are critical," Hodnapp said. "There are some that are considered to be serious and the rest of them are more minor where they were able to treat the children and release them to their parents."
Hodnapp said the male victim who was airlifted had his armed pinned between a bus seat and a window when the bus rolled on the ditch. Hodnapp said it took a while to extradite him from the bus before he was airlifted.
The driver of the passenger car was also taken to the hospital via ambulance and is in serious condition.
Images from the Bemidji Pioneer show a helicopter landing near the accident scene.
According to the Pioneer, the bus contained students largely from Red Lake Nation and the bus was headed to Northern Elementary.
Sanford says a hotline has been set up for parents: 218-333-6040. Parents are asked to go to the east entrance of Sanford Medical Center.
Video from LPTV - Lakeland Public Television shows more scenes of the accident:
