School bus carrying high school football players crashes in Denver, killing driver

DENVER, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A bus carrying high school football players crashed as it left Denver International Airport, killing the driver and injuring 15 students and three coaches, police said.

The bus carried 28 members of the team from Legacy High School of Broomfield, Colo., who returned Sunday afternoon after playing a game in California. Police said the bus circled the airport and struck a concrete pillar. The unidentified driver, a woman, died.

The Adams 12 School District said in a statement that 15 students were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, adding that three coaches riding in the front of the bus were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Denver Health Medical Center said it had five patients from the accident, two in critical condition, two in serious condition and one in fair condition. Children's Hospital Colorado reported six patients in fair condition, four of whom were released by Monday morning, and Medical Center of Aurora said three people involved in the crash arrived at its emergency room, with minor injuries and were treated and released. Five more patients were treated and released by University Hospital.

"The bus was traversing down the ramp to Level 4, when it ran off the right side of the roadway. The bus driver circled back around to this level. We don't know why, it is unexpected. She was one of three buses travelling outbound. At this point [she] should not have been coming back up but did and then ran off the right side of the roadway, struck one of the upright pillars that holds the ramp that takes us up to Level 6," said Sgt. Mike Farr of the Denver Police Department.

He added that the other bus drivers were uncertain why the bus circled back to Level 4 instead of heading for the airport's exit.