School bus driver had heart attack before Libertyville crash, coroner says

A school bus driver died of a heart attack Tuesday before crashing his empty bus in north suburban Libertyville, according to his autopsy results.

Thomas Lee, 75, drove the empty school bus into three parked vehicles Tuesday evening at 310 W. Rockland Road in Libertyville, Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper and Libertyville police said in statements.

Officers arrived first and found Lee not breathing, authorities said. They performed CPR on him. He later died at Condell Medical Center, police said. Lee lived in Greyslake, Howard said.

There were no children in the bus at the time, and no one else was injured, police said.

A preliminary autopsy indicates that Lee died from a heart attack prior to the low speed crash, Howard said.

“I have known Tom for a number of years and this is truly a tragedy,” Howard said in a statement. “I have been in close contact with his family and my sincerest condolences go out to them.”