At Least 16 Hurt, 3 Critically, After Semi Slams Into Chicago High School Hockey Team's Bus - NBC Chicago

More than 1 twelve radical were injured, 3 critically, aft a semi slammed into a schoolhouse autobus carrying a Chicago precocious schoolhouse hockey squad connected Saturday nighttime successful bluish Indiana.

Authorities accidental the inferior varsity hockey squad from Chicago’s Saint Ignatius College Prep High School was traveling backmost to their edifice aft a crippled successful Warsaw connected Saturday astatine astir 8:06 p.m. erstwhile their autobus was struck by a semi-truck.

The autobus past flipped onto its side, ejecting astatine slightest 1 student, according to police.

A full of 23 students, 2 coaches and a autobus operator were connected the autobus astatine the clip of the collision. At slightest 16 radical were taken to country hospitals, with 1 of the students seemingly being ejected from the autobus by the unit of the collision.

Three individuals were described arsenic having “very critical” injuries aft the crash.

Police accidental that conscionable 2 minutes anterior to the collision, dispatchers had been notified of a semi-truck that was swerving betwixt lanes, driving astatine excessive speeds and leaving the roadway arsenic it entered Warsaw connected U.S. 30.

After striking the bus, the semi drove a abbreviated region down the roadway earlier coming to remainder successful a adjacent ditch.

When constabulary approached the driver, they observed a beardown odor of intoxicant successful the cab of the truck, and the operator exhibited slurred speech. After failing tract sobriety tests, the operator refused a breathalyzer test, and constabulary obtained a hunt warrant to get humor samples astatine a section hospital.

The driver, identified arsenic a 58-year-old New York nonmigratory driving for a institution retired of New Jersey, is being detained arsenic prosecutors hole to record charges, including operating portion intoxicated and causing superior bodily injury.

Additional charges are expected.

The Chicago Blackhawks issued a connection aft the crash, expressing their condolences and encouraging fans to support the squad successful their thoughts.

“We nonstop our thoughts and prayers to the Saint Ignatius College Prep’s hockey team, their coaches and their families aft the squad was progressive successful a superior autobus mishap past night. Please articulation america successful keeping them successful your thoughts,” the squad said.