A tragic event unfolded on a Thursday morning when a 24-year-old woman died after her car collided head-on with a school bus in Manhattan, a suburb of Chicago. Illinois State Police reported that the accident occurred at approximately 8:17 a.m. at the intersection of Manhattan-Monee Road, near Kankakee Road. Makenna M. Maurisak of Manhattan has been identified by the Will County Coroner’s Office as the deceased. According to NBC Chicago, an autopsy was scheduled for Friday following the incident to determine the manner and cause of her death.
The school bus, at the time of the incident, was carrying ten students and one driver from the Manhattan School District. They were evaluated at the scene by emergency personnel and then taken to nearby hospitals “due to the severity of the accident,” as noted by the Manhattan Fire Protection District. Footage from the site showed the damaged bus being towed away post-crash. Investigations by the Illinois State Police into the circumstances surrounding the crash were ongoing as of Friday evening.
Meanwhile, in broader efforts to attend to the emotional impact of the crash, Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox was prepared to handle the influx of concerned parents and students. “This was a very scary event. So, we actually triple our patient size because we have the patient, the child, as well as the two parents. We also have to give emotional support, as well,” emergency services director Jill Pateros mentioned in a statement obtained by ABC7 Chicago. Moreover, emergency room Dr. Aaron Tabor indicated thoroughness was paramount, “So were identifying for maybe just a minor sprain, but we still want to do thorough exams on all patients to make sure they don’t have any deformities or extremities, making sure they (don’t) have a broken bone or signs of head injuries or concussions.”…