Three children and two adults died after a school bus collided with a semi-truck on U.S. Route 24 in Illinois on Monday, authorities said.
The fatal collision between the school bus and the semi-truck carrying sand happened on the highway at 11:30 a.m., local time, in Rushville, Illinois State Police said during a press briefing.
The bus was heading East on Route 24 and for an “unknown reason,” crossed over into the Westbound lanes in front of the semi-truck, police said.
Two adults and three children were killed after a school bus crashed into commercial vehicle, March 11, 2024, Rushville, Ill.
WICS
Both vehicles erupted into flames after the collision, according to authorities.
The school bus was transporting three children at the time of the crash. The three children, as well as both drivers, were pronounced dead on the scene, authorities said.
The children who died in the accident were preschoolers, Schuyler County Coroner Terry Millslagle told ABC News. All of the families of the victims have been contacted.
Schuyler-Industry Schools confirmed the incident with a “heavy heart” in a Facebook post on Monday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce our school community has lost both staff and students in the traffic incident involving one of our school buses this morning,” the post read. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and our community.”
The school added, “Out of respect for everyone involved, no names or further information will be released at this time.”
The school district canceled school on Tuesday and Wednesday, following the incident.
— ABC News’ Darren Reynolds and Jianna E. Cousin contributed to this report.