Bus carrying girls high school team and semi hit head-on, killing at least 2

MCLEAN COUNTY, Ill. -- At least two people -- both adults -- were dead after a bus carrying the Normal Community West High School Junior Varsity girls basketball team collided head-on with a semi-tractor trailer in central Illinois Wednesday night, reports CBS Peoria affiliate WMBD-TV.

Illinois State Police said the semi was traveling in the wrong direction when the crash occurred on I-74 between Bloomington and Downs.

They said the truck's 34-year-old driver was killed.

The McLean County Unit 5 School District and state police said there were 11 people on the bus. One, a 72-year-old team volunteer, was killed. Eight students were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Two other adults from the bus were airlifted to hospitals.

Westbound lanes of I-74 near Downs were closed. 

Parents were being advised to go to Normal West High School and not to the scene.

A Facebook post from Unit 5 says, "Staff is on hand at the school to help support students and parents. Please keep our Normal West family in your thoughts."

WBMD said team was returning from a game at Champaign Central.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.