Hibbing, Minnesota Car Accident: Obituary, Death Shawn Allen Lindula, Svea Lynn Snickers, and 20 Students Involved in Hibbing School Bus Rollover After Collision with SUV at Highway 5 and Townline Road: Snickers Airlifted with Life-Threatening Injuries, 11 Hospitalized Including Lindula and 10 Students
Following a violent collision with an SUV at the crossroads of Highway 5 and Townline Road, a school bus carrying 20 kids to Cherry School flipped, resulting in a terrifying catastrophe that sent shockwaves through the small city of Hibbing, Minnesota. On Thursday, September 12, 2024, at around 7:50 a.m., a crash occurred that resulted in a mass casualty reaction and the hospitalization of 11 individuals, including the bus driver and 10 kids. After being extracted from her extensively damaged SUV, the driver, identified as 19-year-old Svea Lynn Snickers, was taken to Essentia Hospital in Duluth due to life-threatening injuries. Shawn Allen Lindula, the 52-year-old driver of the school bus, was also admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident happened in the middle of the morning rush hour while kids were traveling to Cherry School, a small, rural school serving a close-knit community. The school bus was hit by a 2006 Toyota RAV4 driven by Snickers while it was heading north on Highway 5, said to Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila. The bus tipped over onto its side due to the intensity of the accident, resulting in a disorganized and terrifying scene as the kids inside scurried to get out of the overturned car.
As first responders, including fire and EMS crews from Hibbing, Chisholm, Buhl, and Virginia, arrived to assess the situation and administer aid, the accident scene was one of confusion and haste. Numerous kids were seen crawling out of the bus through damaged windows and emergency doors, according to witnesses who were present at the event. Some of the pupils appeared stunned and dazed. Despite the seriousness of the incident, everyone who was a student was accounted for and received medical attention when necessary thanks to the prompt action of emergency professionals and the help of bystanders.
A mass casualty system was triggered because of the incident’s size, according to Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila, who oversaw the emergency response. This was done to make sure that there were enough resources available to treat any potential injuries. Jankila said, “The mass casualty response allowed us to have more ambulances available than we ultimately needed.” Fortunately, a second air medical unit at Range Regional Airport was kept on standby in case it was needed.