Executive Summary
- Makenna M. Maurisak, 24, was killed in a head-on collision with a school bus in Manhattan, Illinois.
- The crash occurred Thursday morning on Manhattan-Monee Road and is under investigation by Illinois State Police.
- Ten students and the bus driver were transported to hospitals as a precaution but sustained no serious injuries.
- Medical staff at Silver Cross Hospital performed thorough evaluations before releasing all students to their families.
Authorities in Will County, Illinois, have identified a 24-year-old woman who was killed Thursday morning in a head-on collision involving a school bus carrying ten students. The crash occurred at approximately 8:32 a.m. on Manhattan-Monee Road, according to the Illinois State Police (ISP), resulting in a fatality for the passenger vehicle driver while students aboard the bus escaped without serious injury.
According to ISP reports, the school bus was traveling eastbound near Kankakee Road when it collided with a passenger vehicle. The Will County Coroner identified the driver of the passenger vehicle as Makenna M. Maurisak, 24, of Manhattan, Illinois, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are currently reconstructing the accident to determine the sequence of events leading to the collision between School House Road and Scheer Road.
Manhattan School District officials confirmed that ten students and a bus driver were on board at the time of the incident. As a precautionary measure, emergency responders transported all bus occupants to area medical facilities, including Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. Manhattan police stated that no individuals on the bus sustained serious injuries.
Medical personnel implemented mass casualty protocols to ensure thorough evaluations. Jill Pateros, emergency services director at Silver Cross Hospital, noted that the facility prepared to support not only the patients but also their parents and guardians. Dr. Aaron Tabor, an emergency room physician at the hospital, emphasized the importance of precautionary exams. "We still want to do thorough exams on all patients to make sure they don’t have any deformities… broken bone or signs of head injuries or concussions," Dr. Tabor stated.
Superintendent Damien Aherne confirmed that all students were released from the hospital by 1:00 p.m. "Our hearts are with everyone impacted by this tragic incident," Aherne said in a statement released by the district. "We are grateful for the swift response of our first responders and our school staff, whose priority was ensuring the safety and well-being of our students."
Investigative Outlook
The Illinois State Police are leading the ongoing investigation into the fatal crash, focusing on road conditions and vehicle dynamics on Manhattan-Monee Road. In incidents involving school transportation, investigators typically examine telemetry data and mechanical integrity to rule out equipment failure. While the immediate aftermath has focused on the medical clearance of the students involved, the final accident report will likely address the specific cause of the lane crossover that resulted in the head-on impact.
