Authorities Search For Injured Driver In Isle, Minn. Crash

ISLE, Minn. (WCCO) -- A serious crash in an Isle, Minn. school bus garage was so bad that it caused a 2-hour delay for 600 students Tuesday morning. Someone walked away from a crash and police are worried that they may need medical care.

"Your first thought when you see a car like this ... your first thought is, where is the body laying?" Isle Police Chief Mark Reichel said, after looking at the scene of the crash.

It was unbelievable to him that anyone could have walked away from this terrible crash. When he contacted the owner of the car, it was determined the 2004 Dodge Stratus had been stolen.

"The vehicle was traveling down West Isle heading west, went off the road," said Reichel, "Then continued forward right into the bus garage."

Reichel believes the driver must have been moving at a high speed.

"The speedometer on impact showed 71," he said. "It hit the first bus. On impact, it moved the bus probably a couple feet or more and then it bounced off that -- hit the second bus. Because of the high impact of speed, it also moved that bus a little bit."

The buses are not safe for passengers, and the clean up meant a 2-hour delay for all K-12 students at Isle School.

"There was blood on the driver side airbag, so, obviously, indicating that there was a type of injury that the driver sustained," said Reichel. "Right now, our first concern is to make sure that this person is OK."

Police have contacted all area hospitals to be on the lookout for someone with severe injuries.

If you have any information about the accident, please contact the Mille Lacs County Sheriff Department at 1-320-983-8245.

Joan Gilbertson, Producer
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