Video shows close call between school bus, semi-truck in Mille Lacs County
A school bus driver is being heralded as a “hero” for maneuvering to avoid a head-on crash with a semi-truck Wednesday morning near Onamia.
School bus dash camera video shared by Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton on Thursday shows just how close the incident on Highway 169 came to disaster.
Shortly after the northbound semi-truck comes into view, it swerves directly into the path of the school bus traveling in the opposite direction. With only a split second to react, the bus driver steers into the left lane, avoiding direct impact.
According to the sheriff’s office, the truck ended up glancing the bus near the rear passenger side. Four children were on board, and two were evaluated on the scene for minor injuries.
Burton said the quick thinking of bus driver Brian Lathrop “undoubtedly saved many lives.” “This bus driver is a hero in my opinion,” Burton said.
The Minnesota State Patrol and Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the crash.
