Two young boys hurt when school bus causes 5-vehicle crash in Niles

Two young boys were injured in a multi-vehicle accident Monday morning in north suburban Niles caused by a school bus driver who did not yield while making a left turn, police said.

Police responded about 8:58 a.m. to a five-vehicle crash at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Main Street, involving four cars and a school bus, according to Niles police.

The small school bus, contracted by East Maine School District 63, was driving southbound on Milwaukee and entered the left turn lane at Main, police said. The bus then continued to turn left onto eastbound Main.

A car going northbound on Milwaukee struck the bus, causing the bus to hit a third vehicle on Main, then two more vehicles, also on Main, police said.

The Niles Fire Department treated two boys, ages 6 and 8, who were passengers on the bus, for minor injuries, police said.

The boys and a school employee were the only passengers on the bus, District 63 spokeswoman Janet Spector Bishop said. They were “conscious and speaking with first responders” when they arrived.

They were taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where the students’ parents met them, she said. One student and the employee were treated for minor injuries and all three were released later in the day.

Police said the 37-year-old driver of the turning car also suffered minor injuries and was treated at Lutheran General.

The bus sustained major damage and had to be towed from the scene. The bus driver and the drivers of the vehicles hit by the bus were not hurt, police said.

Police said the school bus, operated by Alltown Bus Service, failed to yield to traffic while turning left, and the driver was ticketed.

Alltown is one of the companies District 63 contracts with to provide student transportation, Bishop said.“We are relieved and grateful that no serious injuries occurred. At this time, we are working closely with Alltown and with the Niles Police Department to investigate the incident and assess next steps as appropriate,” she said.The bus was en route to Nelson School when the crash occurred, Bishop said. Social workers and psychologists were made available for students or staff who needed them after the crash.