School bus driver suspected of not yielding before crash that killed high school student in car

TOWANDA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities suspect a school bus driver is at fault in a crash the killed a high school student riding in a car.

The bus was crossing Kansas state highway 254 on Friday afternoon when another high schooler who was driving the car slammed into it, Butler County Sheriff Monty Hughey said in a news release. It is believed the school bus driver “failed to yield the right of way,” the sheriff said.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the car’s passenger later died at a hospital. The car’s driver was seriously injured.

Circle Public Schools Superintendent Don Potter identified the passenger as Halie Friesen, a junior at Circle High School. He provided no information about the injured passenger.

There were 14 children on the school bus at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s office said, and none reported any injuries. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Circle High School, in Towanda, is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Wichita.