Company suspends school bus driver in Buffalo Grove wreck
One First Student Inc. driver has been suspended for what a company official said was his role in a Friday afternoon crash involving three school buses bringing children home in Buffalo Grove.
Ten students from Twin Groves Middle School in north Buffalo Grove, as well as a bus driver, suffered minor injuries in the chain-reaction collision, authorities said. Twin Groves, which serves grades six through eight, is part of Kildeer Countryside Elementary District 96.
All three buses carrying the students belonged to First Student. Company spokeswoman Maureen Richmond said Monday one bus driver was suspended, pending a final result of an investigation.
Police said the three buses were traveling in a line south on Buffalo Grove near Deerfield Road when the crash occurred about 2:50 p.m. Richmond said the third driver clipped a rear corner of the bus in front of him and started the chain reaction.
Richmond said First Student's decision to suspend the man was based on information from driver interviews and Buffalo Grove police. She said the man has been with First Student since March 2003, and he has had a clean driving history.
"Our company exists to provide safe transportation for student passengers," Richmond said.
Police said there were 98 students on the three buses. The 10 injured pupils and the driver were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, District 96 Superintendent Thomas Many said school officials did all they could to assist after the crash. He said the emergency response included contacting all parents and sending employees to the hospitals to check on the students' well being.
Many said he and others at District 96 spent the weekend calling the parents of the injured children to make sure there were doing well.
A meeting was held for Twin Groves students Monday. Many said the children were informed staff members were available to them if they needed to discuss the crash.
"The kids were pretty good," Many said.
Buffalo Grove police could not be reached for comment on the crash investigation status. Many said District 96 has contracted for bus service from First Student for at least 10 years.
Children from Buffalo Grove and Long Grove attend Twin Groves.