A tragic school bus accident in Minnesota has led to serious charges against a 19-year-old woman accused of being distracted by Snapchat just moments before the crash. Svea Snickers now faces multiple felony charges after the collision on September 12, which left 21 children, the bus driver, and herself injured.
The crash happened in St. Louis County, near the small community of Cotton. Authorities say Snickers ran a stop sign in her Toyota RAV4 and slammed into the side of a school bus, causing it to roll over into a ditch. Thankfully, none of the injuries were life-threatening, but some of the children, who were between 5 and 17 years old, suffered concussions, broken bones, and other injuries like cuts and bruises.
According to police reports, Snickers was using Snapchat right before the crash. An investigation revealed she had taken a screenshot in the app just seconds before 911 calls started coming in. Initially, she told state troopers she had been texting on a different road earlier in her drive. However, her phone records reportedly showed that wasn’t true, and the message had been sent just moments before the collision.
Snickers admitted to officers a week after the crash that she was on her phone at the time. She first claimed she was sending a “voice text,” but later said she was making a video for Snapchat. Investigators also uncovered data from her vehicle showing she was driving between 48 and 53 mph and didn’t brake as she approached the stop sign.
The school bus driver, a 52-year-old man, was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and Snickers suffered the most serious injuries in the crash. Ten of the children were hospitalized, with five sustaining more serious injuries like concussions or broken bones.
Snickers had been heading home from her boyfriend’s house when the crash happened. She is now facing five felony charges, 17 counts of gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation, and a charge for using an app while driving. Her court date is scheduled for January 30.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how dangerous distracted driving can be, especially when children’s lives are at stake.
