Sheriff continues to investigate bus crash

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Updated: March 6, 2012 8:13AM

The Kane County sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate what caused a bus carrying nine kids to run off the road and roll onto its side late last month.

The crash took place at 8:10 a.m. Jan. 27 on Granart Road near Mary Road just east of Big Rock. The bus was taking the students — most from the Sandwich area — to a school for special needs children in Naperville. Nine students, an adult aide and the driver were on the bus, but none were seriously injured.

Several of those students were back in class later that day at the Krejci Academy, part of the Little Friends agency in Naperville.

The Chicago Tribune has reported that the driver had been suspended while officials at Illinois Central School Bus Company investigate claims that the driver had fallen asleep before the crash. Illinois Central did not return calls Friday.

Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler said that as of Friday, no tickets had been issued and toxicology reports were pending. Gengler said some of the special-needs students on the bus have communication issues, which had slowed the investigation slightly.

“We’re still doing interviews, trying to determine what happened,” he said.

Gengler expected the investigation to conclude “relatively soon.”

Sandwich Schools Superintendent Rick Schmitt said the district had not received any complaints about the bus driver prior to the incident. He said that after the crash, some parents told the district they had previously reported concerns about the driver to Illinois Central, but not the school.

“We never received a complaint from a student or a parent,” Schmitt said.

Schmitt said they will review the police reports and Illinois Central’s investigation.

“We certainly anticipate full cooperation with the investigation,” he said. “Our students’ safety is of the utmost importance.”

The bus was traveling east on Granart Road when it left the roadway in a 55 mph area where the shoulder is small, and immediately slants into a ditch. The bus tipped onto its side but did not completely roll over.

All the children in the bus were wearing seat belts, which likely prevented worse injuries, Gengler said.