Woman, 19, blew stop sign, used phone before northern Minnesota school bus crash, charges allege
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — A 19-year-old woman faces two dozen charges in connection with a northern Minnesota school bus crash that sent 12 students to the hospital.
Svea Snickers is charged with five felony counts of criminal vehicular operation, 17 gross misdemeanor counts of the same and two misdemeanor traffic offenses, according to St. Louis County court documents filed Thursday.
The crash happened Sept. 12 just east of Hibbing, The bus, which was headed to Cherry School in Iron, was carrying 22 people. In addition to the 12 students, Snickers and the bus driver were also hospitalized. Nine other students were injured but did not need to be hospitalized. According to the criminal complaint, the students' injuries ranged from lacerations and abrasions to concussions, contusions, fractures and more.
Authorities allege Snickers blew a stop sign at Townline Road and County Road 5, hitting the school bus and causing it to roll into the ditch. The driver of the bus said "he knew immediately that it was going to be a bad crash but did not have time to respond in any meaningful way to avoid getting struck," the complaint said.
While investigating the crash, the Minnesota State Patrol searched Snickers' phone, finding she had used it while driving about two minutes before authorities responded to the crash and "just seconds before a 911 call was initiated," the complaint states. Investigating troopers also found the car was going between 48 and 53 mph just before the crash and Snickers did not brake before impact.
