2 killed in head-on crash with school bus near Bloomington

Two adults died Wednesday night when a school bus filled a high school girls basketball team crashed head-on with a semi-truck in central Illinois, police said.

The crash happened about 8:30 p.m. in the westbound lanes of I-74 near mile marker 137, just south of Bloomington, police said.

A preliminary report states the semi-truck was traveling the wrong way in the westbound lanes when it struck the bus, which contained eight girls and three adults, according to police.

The girls’ team was returning from a game at Champaign Central, Normal West High School athletic director Stan Lewis told The (Bloomington) Pantagraph.

The deceased included the 34-year-old driver of the semi and a 72-year-old male passenger on the bus, Illinois State police said in a statement.

The three adults were flown by helicopter to hospitals, and all eight girls were taken to hospitals by ambulance with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

Police identified the man who died on the bus as Charles Crabtreet, 72, of Normal. The identity of the deceased semi-truck driver was held pending notification of family.

Contributing: Associated Press