Fatal crash involving a school bus with no passengers on Palatine Road, just east of Highland Road in Inverness killed Copper Plus General Contractor Steven Schmidt on Thursday.
The identity of the driver of an SUV that crashed with a school bus Thursday was released Friday. Steven Schmidt of South Barrington was pronounced dead at Northwest Community Hospital after a suffering injuries from a head-on crash with a school bus. Schmidt was a general contractor operating a successful business known as Cooper Plus Home Services serving the North Shore area of Chicagoland with custom remodeling projects. Steven Schmidt graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and did graduate work in Physics at Northern Illinois University.
Inverness police and Palatine Rural firefighter/paramedics responded about 3:50 PM Friday to a crash involving a school bus and an SUV near Palatine Road and Highland Road Inverness, IL. Police and firefighter/paramedics arrived within two minutes and reported a school bus-vehicle crash involving extrication — possibly prolonged extrication. Crews on the scene requested an extra rescue squad respond to the scene. No passengers were aboard the bus.
The driver of the SUV required rescue extrication to free him from the vehicle. The extrication operation lasted just under 25 minutes. A medical transport helicopter was requested, but could not respond because of weather conditions. Schmidt was transported to Northwest Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The bus driver was walking at the scene after the crash, and was transported by Hoffman Estates rescue ambulance to St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates. The school bus was a Community Consolidated School District 15 school bus.
A witness reported that the westbound SUV moved into the oncoming eastbound lane, and the eastbound school bus driver responded by trying to evade the SUV — moving toward the westbound lane. The vehicles crashed, and the SUV was pushed into the north side of Palatine Road.
Barrington, Hoffman Estates, and Rolling Meadows firefighters assisted Palatine Rural firefighters at the scene.
Palatine Road was closed in both directions for an extended period.
Map of area of head-on crash near Palatine Road and Highland Road in Inverness …
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