School Bus Crash in Rural Stockton Injures Driver and Three Students

A school bus carrying a middle school football team was involved in a roll-over crash Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 in rural Stockton.

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The Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened around 4:40 PM at the intersection of Illinois Route 78 North and East Chelsea Road, about a quarter-mile north of Chelsea Road.

Credit: Google Maps

According to the sheriff's office, the bus was traveling south on Route 78 when the driver experienced a medical emergency. The bus crossed the center line and struck an embankment before rolling onto its side in the roadway.

All of the passengers were able to get off the bus. When law enforcement arrived, deputies found the driver unresponsive and trapped inside the vehicle. The driver was extricated by law enforcement and revived before being taken to Freeport Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The bus was from the Benton School District, which is cooperatively partnered with the Scales Mound School District and the Schullsburg, WI School District.

The sheriff's office says minor injuries were reported in the crash. One adult and three juvenile patients were transported by ambulance to area hospitals for further evaluation. No serious injuries had been reported at the time of the update. All students and children who were on the bus were accounted for.

Parents and guardians who needed to pick up students from the bus were asked to report to the Stockton Fire Department. The sheriff's office also asked people to avoid the crash scene while emergency personnel continued working in the area.

Several emergency agencies assisted at the scene, including the Stockton Fire Department, Stockton Ambulance, Stockton Police Department, Warren Fire Department, Warren Ambulance, Warren Police Department, Elizabeth Ambulance, Star Ambulance, Leamons Ambulance, Hanover Fire Department and Lena Fire Department. The Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office says the crash remains under investigation. Additional information will be released to the public as it becomes available.