Grayslake bus crash sends 13 to hospital

Thirteen people, including 12 children, suffered minor injuries Friday afternoon when their school bus hit a car trying to turn on Route 83.

Grayslake deputy fire chief Greg Formica said the bus was heading south on Route 83 in Grayslake when it struck the rear end of a pickup truck. The truck was turning on Washington or trying to make a U-turn in the intersection, Formica said.

The children were heading home from an after-school club field trip, Formica said. He did not know the field trip location or name of the after-school club from Libertyville.

Nine students were transported to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, he said. The remaining three and the adult bus driver were taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.

Grayslake police said the truck driver, whom they identified as Eric Kristoffersen, 35, of Mundelein, was issued two citations, one for failure to yield and another for failure to signal.

The bus driver, identified by police as a Park City resident, was a teacher in the after-school program.

"This could have been much worse, but thankfully, it was only minor injuries," Formica said.

Grayslake fire Capt. Jon Cokefair said that children who reported feeling neck pain after hitting the seats in front of them with their heads were transported to local hospitals. But he said none of the children lost consciousness and all were able to exit the bus under their own power.

Ambulances from Round Lake Area Fire Protection District, Gurnee, Mundelein, Fox Lake, Countryside, Waukegan and Libertyville responded to the scene.