CANNON FALLS — A bus carrying nearly a dozen kids to school in Cannon Falls was rear-ended Tuesday morning, totaling both vehicles.
Jillian Otterness, 26, of Denison, collided with the back of the bus at 7:06 a.m. while both vehicles were traveling northbound on Goodhue County Road 14. The bus had stopped to pick up a student, but Otterness did not stop after becoming distracted and looking down, according to a spokesperson with the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office.
None of the children were injured. Otterness was treated at Mayo Clinic Health System — Cannon Falls, then transported to Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester.
Cannon Falls Supt. Beth Giese sent an email to parents informing them of the incident at around noon.
"Please use this … message as a reminder to EVERYONE to be alert while driving and especially watching for buses that are making frequent stops," Giese wrote.
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The 83-passenger bus was the oldest in the Cannon Falls fleet. Insurance is expected to return less than $10,000, while a new bus will cost the district around $90,000. A rental bus has been secured to transport students through the final day of classes on May 24.
"We'll make a decision on May 20 on what we want to do," Giese said. "We're going to have to find $80,000 to get a new bus, so we'll have to come up with a plan."
Funds in the Cannon Falls district were already extremely tight after the past two referendum attempts failed. The district has been working to finalize around $350,000 in cuts for the 2013-14 school year.
