No serious injuries in Wheaton school bus crash

A dozen Monroe Middle School students were sent to the hospital Friday - but none were seriously injured and all were released - after a school bus they were traveling in struck a car in Wheaton, officials said.

Police Lt. Bob Miller said the crash occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Geneva Road and Purnell Street, just north of Wheaton North High School.

A Honda Accord driven by a 22-year-old Carol Stream woman was turning left on Geneva Road from southbound Purnell Street when it collided with a van traveling east on Geneva, Miller said.

The car spun out of control and into the path of the westbound bus, which hit the passenger side of the car.

"It was a mess because there was a lot of debris," Miller said.

The driver of the car suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was taken to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.

Miller said she was issued a citation for failure to yield from a stop intersection.

Roughly 50 students were on the bus at the time.

Twelve complained of injuries, including head and wrist pain, but none were apparent, Miller said.

As a precaution, they also were taken to Central DuPage Hospital.

Erica Loiacono, director of public relations for Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200, said all the students were released from the hospital by the school's lunchtime.

A second bus, she said, came to the scene and brought the other students to school.