Sheriff Booker stated that the initial release contained inaccuracies due to a breakdown in communication.
“My earlier press release regarding this incident contained inconsistencies,” Booker said. “The statement was made prematurely due to miscommunication between myself, responding deputies, and the on-duty Sergeant. I have since spoken with the Sergeant and clarified the exact sequence of events. I was not on scene at the time of the incident.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the initial report of the crash was not made to the sheriff’s telecommunications center. Instead, it was reported directly to the Tampico Police Department. Because of their proximity, Tampico officers were asked to assist while deputies were en route. An officer arrived in the area and located tracks leading into a ditch, but the bus was no longer at the scene.
While responding to the incident, a sergeant with the sheriff’s office requested that telecommunicators contact the Prophetstown/Lyndon/Tampico School District to gather additional information. School officials confirmed that a crash had occurred and advised that the bus had returned to the bus garage at the school in Tampico. Emergency medical services were then dispatched to the school to assess the passengers. The sergeant responding to the incident was later diverted to another crash involving confirmed injuries.
A deputy later arrived at the school and spoke with the bus driver. In a preliminary statement, the driver said he swerved to avoid deer and had been instructed by school district administration to return to the bus garage.
Based on the information available at that time, authorities determined it was not appropriate to issue a citation for leaving the scene of a crash until further investigation could be conducted.
While at the school, the deputy also learned that doorbell and security camera footage had captured the incident. After reviewing the circumstances and continuing the investigation, the deputy issued the driver a citation for improper lane usage and conducted testing for intoxicants in accordance with the Illinois Vehicle Code. Results of those tests are pending.
The sheriff’s office reported that both the driver and the school district have cooperated with the investigation.
“As the video shows, the bus left the traveled portion of the roadway,” Booker said. “Under the Illinois Vehicle Code, roadway is generally defined as the area between the outer edges of the roadway, commonly described as roughly telephone pole to telephone pole.”
