2 students suffer minor injuries when school bus, semi crash in Onamia
ONAMIA, Minn. — Two students were treated for minor injuries after a crash between a school bus and semi truck in central Minnesota Wednesday morning.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the collision happened around 7:15 a.m. on Highway 169 in Onamia. Four students were on the bus at the time — two were treated at the scene.
Neither driver was injured, the patrol said.
"I would've been crushed up against the steering wheel," Brian Lathrop, a school bus driver for Onamia Public Schools, said. "The few students I had behind me in the seats would've been severely injured if not dead."
Lathrop's swift reactions avoided a head-on crash with a semi. He and the passengers in the back — four students and three other school district employees — all walked away alive.
"I try not to think about it. I thank my lucky stars," Lathrop said. "My main concern was the students and everybody I had on the bus."
From the math teacher to the secretary, and in this case, the school bus driver, the superintendent wants everyone to remember that all employees within a school district matter.
"I just immediately thought 'hero'! That's the only word that came to my mind. Brian saved lives," Onamia Public Schools Superintendent JJ Vold said. "He's just a great human being and I'm just so happy he's getting some recognition because he would never ask for it."
The crash is being investigated.
