VERMILION LAKE TWP — A school bus with a trailer carrying high school hockey players collided with a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by 28-year-old Jessie Hinkel, of Soudan, on Jan. 3 in the early evening hours. Hinkel suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the impact. She is mostly sore from bruising from her seat belt and has missed a few days of work. She expected to return to her job at MinnTac soon. Hinkel was driving from Soudan to her night shift at MinnTac when the accident occurred.
“I braced myself,” she said. “I could see there was no way I was getting out of it without hitting the bus.”
The bus was driven by Henry Doyle, age 74, of Baudette.
Both vehicles were moving southbound on 169.
The bus had apparently missed the turn onto Hwy. 77, Hinkel said. The bus was in the turn lane to enter the southern entrance to the Y Store parking lot (across from Hwy. 1) when the driver decided to make a right turn onto Hwy. 1.
This intersection, with two highways intersecting Hwy. 169 at both ends of the Y Store parking lot, has had its share of accidents in recent years.
None of the occupants on the bus was injured.
Hinkel was transported by Tower Ambulance to Essentia in Virginia.
Roads were wet but not slippery at the time of the accident.
Hinkel is still waiting to see if her car is repairable but said it was pretty mangled and she is figuring it will be totaled.