Driver ticketed for causing three-bus crash in Buffalo Grove

A school bus driver has been ticketed for causing a chain-reaction crash with two other buses that were bringing children home last Friday in Buffalo Grove, police said.

Louis Damus, 41, of Round Lake Beach, was ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, Buffalo Grove police Sgt. Scott Kristiansen said Tuesday. Police issued the ticket after investigating the crash.

Ten students from Twin Groves Middle School in Buffalo Grove, along with a bus driver, suffered minor injuries in the crash and were taken by ambulances to local hospitals for treatment. Students in grades six through eight attend Twin Groves, which is part of Kildeer-Countryside Elementary District 96.

All three buses carrying 98 children belonged to First Student Inc. The buses were traveling in a line south on Buffalo Grove Road toward Deerfield Road when the wreck happened about 2:50 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Kristiansen said Damus told police he noticed some vehicles stopped ahead of him and realized he misjudged his speed and distance. Kristiansen said Damus then swerved his bus to the right, but the left front end clipped the right rear of the bus stopped in front of it.

Police said the impact forced the bus that was hit by Damus into the lead bus. Damus, who joined First Student in March 2003 and has a clean driving record, has been suspended by the company, officials 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.

Kristiansen said there was no evidence drugs or alcohol use played a role in the crash.