ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind – A Monday morning crash between a Union-North United School Corporation school bus, with twenty students on-board, and an SUV sent five to the hospital with minor injuries.

The preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police shows that just before 8:00 a.m.  the bus driven by 31 year old Laura Watts, of Lakeville, stopped and picked up students and as Watts accelerated the bus from the stop, it was struck from behind by a 2005 Ford Expedition driven by 28 year old Lee Motz, of Bourbon, IN.

Four students were taken to an area hospital with complaints of pain; two nine-year-old boys, a five-year-old girl, and a fifteen-year-old girl. All were treated for minor injuries and were released.

Motz was taken to an area hospital in South Bend, IN to be treated for injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

Alcohol or drugs is not suspected as a factor in this crash. This crash remains under investigation.