Quick Maneuver by Onamia School Bus Driver Helps Avoid Tragedy in Crash

The quick actions of an Onamia school bus driver helped to avoid tragedy on Wednesday.

The bus had students on board around 7:15 a.m. on Highway 169 north of Onamia when the driver of an oncoming semi lost control of the rig and went into the lane of the bus. Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton says bus driver Brian Lathrop made a quick maneuver that the Sheriff believes saved many lives. Instead, only two students were checked out for minor injuries.

The impact of the two vehicles, which happened just north of Shakopee Lake Road, was a glancing sideswipe near the rear passenger side of the bus instead of a full head-on crash. The Minnesota State Patrol and the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.