Seventeen members of the UW-Madison German Club survived a crash on Interstate 90 near Arlington Heights, Ill., in which a car lost control and collided with their school bus Saturday.
The organization was making its annual trip to Christkindlmarket in Chicago.
According to German Club President Jesse Allhands, the crash was caused by a car that sped off a ramp as it entered the freeway.
The car lost control and skidded all the way from the right hand lane to the left hand lane where our bus was,"" Allhands said. ""There was nothing the bus driver could have done.""
In a statement on the club's website, Allhands said none of the members of the club were seriously injured but a few needed to get neck and back X-rays. According to Allhands, the driver of the school bus was not injured, but the driver of the car died on the scene. The Wisconsin State Journal identified the driver as Hai Qui, 38, of Rolling Meadows, Ill.
The club did not make it to Christkindlmarket and arrived back in Madison at the same time they would have if they had gone to the event.
Allhands said he was impressed with how the bus company handled the situation. First Student, the Ohio-based bus company that supplied the bus to the students, waived all of the trip costs and representatives met with club members directly after the incident.
On the club's site, Allhands said any students involved in the crash needing counseling can visit University Health Services and the Offices of the Dean of Students.
There have been no parent complaints to German Club directors since the incident.
