Bus rollover accident occurs in Boone County

By Kathryn Menue

EDITOR

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, around 3:30 p.m. an accident occurred at the corner of Beloit and Orth Roads, causing a Belvidere District 100 school bus to rollover at the intersection.

The school bus, carry approximately 32 Belvidere Central Middle School students, was traveling northbound on Beloit Road, when a blue, four-door 1995 Pontiac Grand-Am traveling west on Orth Road failed to yield properly at the stop sign.

The driver of the car was later identified as Marisol Talavera, 23, who was cited for not having a valid driver’s license, driving without insurance and failure to yield at the stop sign.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department, “Boone County Fire District II, and 12 ambulances from Boone County, McHenry County, DeKalb County, Winnebago County, and Rock County, Wis. responded to the scene,” Boone County Sheriff Dave Ernest reported. The bus driver, car driver, “and 10 students were transported to four area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Most students were treated at the scene and released to their parents.”

A security camera from a house on the corner of Orth and Beloit captured the accident footage. The footage showed the car stopping at the stop, but then the car pulls out into the intersection as the bus is entering the intersection. The car collided right in front of the bus’ back tires causing the bus to tip as it continued north on Beloit Road.

After the accident, the sheriff’s department blocked off the intersections of Gustafson and Beloit Roads, Olson and Orth Roads, Dawson Lake and Beloit Roads, and Caledonia and Orth Roads, to manage the accident scene. The roads remained closed until about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

“A quick response and assistance by first responders, school personnel, bus personnel, residents, and parents are credited for making the incident manageable,” Sheriff Ernest reported.

However, the accident still remains under investigation through the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.