Aftermath of school bus, semi-truck accident

OSMOND — A semi-truck collided with a Boyd County Schools bus Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 16, sending three students to the hospital. The accident happened at the train tracks several miles east of Osmond on Highway 20. The bus had stopped at the tracks, headed west, and had just started moving again when the truck hit it from behind.

Truck driver Allen Lambrecht of Beemer said he just looked down for a second, and when he looked up, the bus was right there. He swerved to miss the bus, causing his truck to go into the ditch on the south side of the highway, but the trailer hit the back of the bus.

Darrel Weaver and Hanibel Delsol were behind the truck and saw the accident. The two are employees of Zmix USA from Texas, working in the area on windmills.

Weaver was the first one in the bus. He commended one young man who stayed with his fellow student who was seriously hurt with a back injury, and then helped out where needed.

Osmond and Randolph fire and rescue units responded to the accident. Two of the injured students were taken by ambulance to Osmond General Hospital, while one was life-flighted from the scene.

Every year, the hospital does a risk assessment on the types of emergencies that they could face. Just two years ago, the hospital simulated a school bus accident. They had students from Osmond Community School, as well as local police, fire and rescue units to assist in the training. Lon Knievel, chief executive officer of Osmond General Hospital, says the preparations they do for those annual exercises helped everyone who was called in to assist on Tuesday.

According to an update by Boyd County School officials, all three injured students have been released from the hospital.

The accident is under investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol.