Chase County school bus, semi crash injures 11 children

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Multiple students and two adults were taken to hospitals after a bus rollover crash on Tuesday involving a semi-truck in Chase County.

Around 3:57 p.m., officers received reports of a crash southwest of Imperial near Champion.

The Nebraska State Patrol said a Chase County school bus tried to make a left-hand turn when it collided with a semi.

The northbound semi was pulling a fully loaded grain trailer on Highway 15A.

After colliding with the bus, the semi continued a short distance before driving off the road.  The truck crossed the ditch and came to rest on a nearby property.

The school bus was dropping children off after school. Eleven students ranging from 6 to 13 years old were still on the bus at the time of the crash.

All passengers and drivers were transported to a local hospital, the patrol said.  Three children were later transported to regional trauma centers.

The driver of the school bus was identified as Keith Cranwell, 39, of Champion.

The semi driver was identified as 20-year-old Chance Lotspeich of Venango.

The crash is being investigated by the Chase County Sheriff’s Office with help from the state patrol.

Chase County sheriff’s deputies, the Imperial Fire Department, Imperial EMS and Chase County Emergency Management responded to the crash.