News : Multi-vehicle accident involving Vinton-Shellsburg school bus on Friday

On Friday, a Vinton-Shellsburg school bus with six students on board was leaving town on Highway 218 headed south when it was involved in a multi-vehicle accident. None of the students on the bus was injured in the accident.

The school bus, a 2016 Bluebird, driven by Nathan Enos, 28, of Vinton, came upon a 2000 Jeep Wrangler driven by Crystal Offerman, 37 years old, from Vinton. The Jeep had stopped on the highway, in the path of the bus, to turn left into the housing development at Beverly Drive.

The school bus struck the rear of the Jeep, pushing it into the path of a 2018 Ford Edge driven by Joshua Hopkins, 34, of Cedar Rapids. 

Offerman was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. The driver of the Jeep was taken to the University of Iowa, but did not survive her injuries. 

The following departments assisted at the scene: Vinton Police Department, Benton County Sheriff's Department, North Benton Ambulance, Vinton Fire Department, Iowa State Patrol, as well as air support for transport to Iowa City and towing by Darrah's Towing and Recovery out of Hiawatha.