Elgin man faces felony charges after hitting school bus in Bartlett
An Elgin man who crashed into a school bus and injured its driver Thursday morning in Bartlett faces felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury or death, authorities said. Michael J. Campbell, 26, of the 700 block of Spyglass Hill Court, also faces misdemeanor charges of driving with a suspended license and failing to give aid or information after the crash, which occurred about 9 a.m. on Route 20 near Roma Jean Parkway, according to Bartlett police. He also was arrested on a $20,000 failure to appear warrant out of Hoffman Estates for driving with a suspended license and resisting a peace officer.
Police said Campbell fled on foot after driving his gray 2008 Honda Accord into oncoming traffic and striking the Elgin Area School District U-46 bus, which was driven by a 44-year-old woman but had no passengers. Witnesses told police they saw Campbell’s vehicle, which was headed east on Route 20, cross into the westbound lanes and sideswipe the school bus.
Police placed three nearby schools — Eastview Middle School, Bartlett Elementary School and Independence Center for Early Learning — on lockdown while they searched for Campbell using canines and air support from Illinois State Police.
He was arrested by 12:15 p.m. Thursday on North Hale Avenue less than a mile away from the scene and the schools were given the all-clear, police said.
The bus driver was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates with nonlife-threatening injuries, authorities said.