A teenage girl died at the scene after her car collided with a Rockford school bus shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday near Spring Creek and Welsh roads, police said. No students aboard the bus were hurt in the crash, which prompted officers to close off the surrounding streets for much of the morning.
According to rockfordnewsfirst.com, police confirmed the driver of the car was a teenage girl and that she died at the scene. Her identity had not been released by officials as of Tuesday. MyStateline reported that Winnebago County Deputy Coroner Matt Lane confirmed the juvenile died in the crash, and that authorities characterized the collision as serious.
Police have not released details about how the crash happened, whether anyone else was in the car with the teen, or the severity of any other possible injuries, the station's report noted. Investigators asked drivers to avoid the area around Spring Creek and Welsh roads while the scene was being processed.
No Students Hurt, Bus Driver Has Nearly Two Decades on the Job
Officials were quick to stress that the outcome for the bus itself was far less dire: no students riding to school that morning suffered injuries, per the same account. A spokesperson for the union representing Rockford Public Schools bus drivers said the driver involved in the crash has worked for the district for more than 19 years, according to rockfordnewsfirst.com.
Beyond those basic facts, much about Tuesday's crash remains unknown. Police have not said what led up to the collision at the intersection, and no additional details about the circumstances had been made public by midday.
