If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, it is important that you begin looking out for your best interests.

2-vehicle accident claims life of local architect

A tragic accident involving a school bus and an automobile occurred on Old Route 66 near Towanda, resulting in one fatality. No students were on the bus at the time of the accident. The county coroner was summoned to the scene.

The victim, a 37 year-old resident of Normal, was identified as the owner of an architectural firm in Bloomington. According to the McLean County coroner’s reports, the driver had been operating his SUV on Old Route 66 when he crashed into a Unit Five school bus. The decedent had two children. The driver of the bus was taken to a local hospital but did not require medical attention.

Illinois State Police and the coroner are still investigating the accident, but preliminary reports suggest the SUV inexplicably veered into oncoming traffic, collided with the school bus and sent it into a ditch just southwest of the Airport Road intersection.

The bus was on its way to a local high school, according to a statement made by a Unit Five spokesperson. The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. Following an autopsy, the coroner’s report stated his death was caused by a series of blunt force injuries to the neck, chest and head. Additional tests have been ordered.

Investigating officers found the SUV on the west side shoulder of the road. The reasons why the vehicle went over the center divider are unknown pending further investigation.

Much of the nation, including Cook County residents, have been recently plagued with wintry storms. Drivers operating motor vehicles need to exercise increased mental acuity and sharp reflexes when traveling on public roads, in spite of these poor weather and road conditions. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of death in the country and are especially tragic during the holiday season.

Source: pantagraph.com, “Architect identified as victim in SUV-bus collision” No author given, Dec. 20, 2013

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