Mustang driver killed in crash with school bus carrying Waseca volleyball teams

Waseca volleyball bus involved in fatal crash

Saturday night was a dangerous night for about 36 Waseca high school student athletes, after a team bus carrying the girls volleyball team was involved in a deadly collision.

FOSTER TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - A collision between a Mustang and a school bus carrying high school volleyball players in southern Minnesota late Saturday night left the Mustang driver dead.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened around 8:45 p.m. along Interstate 90 in Foster Township, about 15 miles west of Albert Lea.

Investigators say the bus was headed east while the Mustang was going west along I-90 when the crash happened. Troopers have not yet said what caused the crash.

Seven girls on the bus, between the ages 14 and 16, were hurt in the collision but are expected to recover. All were treated at Albert Lea Hospital.

Aerial video shows the spot where the bus went off the highway.

The driver of the Mustang, identified Sunday afternoon as 55-year-old Mark Alan Tigner, of Brandon, South Dakota, died at the scene.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

In a statement, Waseca Public Schools confirmed the bus was carrying volleyball teams from its district:

Last evening, a school bus carrying our volleyball teams was involved in a collision with another vehicle as they traveled back from an away contest. While the state patrol is continuing to investigate the accident, we can confirm that no Waseca students or staff were seriously injured in the incident, and we are following up with students and families to support them through this event. Unfortunately, partial reports can result in misinformation being shared, so we wanted to give our school community the most accurate update we could without interrupting law enforcement's work. Thank you for all of your thoughts and well wishes for our students and staff.

Speaking with FOX 9, Waseca Superintendent Eric Hudspith says the bus was traveling home after a tournament in Fairmont.

"Our evening was spent making sure students were okay, supporting first responders and making sure everybody got back to their families," Hudspith told FOX 9 on Sunday. "We’re heartbroken with the situation and how it may have played out."

Six teenagers were hospitalized with what Hudspith calls minor injuries: "sprains, concussion type symptoms," he said. "They all were treated and released right away last evening… we are so grateful that our students did not sustain any serious injuries, or our staff."

"They collided front end head-to-head… the students and staff involved were shaken up. It’s certainly something we’d never want students to experience, so we’ll be providing support with our counseling services, We’ve got resources in the community," Hudspith finished.

Waseca students return to the classroom for their first day of school on Sept. 5.