Photo: Ryan Baker
(Chase County, NE) -- More details are released in a school bus crash in southwest Nebraska that injured multiple children.
The Chase County Sheriff's Office says just before 4:00 Tuesday afternoon, they received an emergency 911 call reporting a school bus rollover accident involving a semi-tractor trailer on state highway 15A and 736 road South West of Imperial near Champion, NE.
The sheriff's office says the preliminary investigation indicates that the school bus, a 2020 Integrated CES owned by Chase County Schools, attempted to make a left hand turn when it was hit by a northbound 1992 Peterbilt Semi, pulling a fully loaded grain trailer. The semi is owned by KAK Inc. out of Champion, Nebraska. Investigators say the semi hit the rear passenger side of the school bus, causing the bus to spin and overturn onto its driver's side. The sheriff's office says after hitting the bus, the semi left the roadway and crossed a ditch before coming to a rest.
Investigators say the school bus was in the process of dropping children off after school and had eleven students on board, ranging in ages from 6 to 15 years old. The sheriff's office says all passengers and drivers were transported to the Chase County hospital with a wide range of injuries. Investigators say three children were later transported to regional trauma centers. No updates have been given as to the conditions of those involved in the crash. The sheriff's office identified the driver of the school bus as 39 year old Keith Cranwell of Champion, NE. The semi driver is identified as 20 year old Chance Lotspeich of Venango, NE.
The Chase County Sheriff's Office says it is still in the preliminary stage of the investigation and has requested the assistance of the Nebraska State Patrol to help with the inspection of both commercial vehicles and to reconstruct the accident.