Kindred (CSi) The school bus driver injured in the school bus, semis crash near Kindred has died.

jostadbusCathy Jostad, died early Friday morning according to a CaringBridge site maintained by her family.

jostaddaughterHer daughter Lisa wrote, “Sadly after a courageous fight Mom passed away today shortly after midnight. Words cannot express how much everyone’s support has meant to us.”

The initial crash happened about 8:55 a.m. on September 25, 2015. Jostad was driving 34 children, two teachers and a paraprofessional east on North Dakota Highway 46 for a field trip in heavy fog when she hit a semi that was attempting a turn west onto the highway from Richland County Road 1. Two other semis were also involved in the crash.

It took almost an hour for first responders to pull Jostad from the wreckage. She was the only one in the crash to sustain serious injuries.

Jostad had both of her legs amputated after the crash Sept. 25.

Fargo’s Boulger Funeral Home  said funeral arrangements were pending.

 

Updated official Highway Patrol report…

SchoolBusCrashJust after midnight on Friday, October 2, the school bus driver, Cathryn Jostad, died at Essentia Hospital in Fargo because of injuries sustained in the crash. The crash remains under investigation by the NDHP.

At approximately 8:55 a.m. on September 25, a 2011 Thomas school bus, owned by the Kindred School District, was eastbound on Hwy. 46 near Richland Co. Rd. 1 when it struck a 1998 Volvo semi, towing a 2006 Timpte trailer. The Volvo was attempting to turn west onto Hwy. 46 from Richland Co. Rd. 1. The bus struck the trailer on the driver’s side. Both the bus and Volvo/Timpte combination came to rest on Hwy. 46 with the bus facing east in the eastbound lane and the truck/trailer facing north across both lanes.

A short time after the initial collision, a 2008 Peterbilt, towing a 2007 Wilson trailer, was westbound on Hwy. 46 and struck the Volvo/Timpte combination on the passenger side. The Timpte trailer split in two, causing the trailer to spill its load of soybeans. The Peterbilt came to rest facing west across both lanes of Hwy. 46.

After the 2008 Peterbilt collided into the Volvo/Timpte combination, a 2006 Peterbilt, towing a 1986 dump trailer, was westbound on Hwy. 46 and approached the crash scene. The 2006 Peterbilt was able to avoid the crash scene and came to a stop on the westbound shoulder. After the 2006 Peterbilt came to a stop, a 1999 International, towing a 1999 Eastman dump trailer, came upon the crash scene and rear-ended the trailer towed by the 2008 Peterbilt, which rear-ended the dump trailer towed by the 2006 Peterbilt. The International came to rest facing northwest across the westbound lanes and shoulder of Hwy. 46.

The school bus was driven by Cathryn Jostad, 64, of Kindred. Jostad was transported to Essentia Hospital with serious injuries. The uninjured driver of the Volvo was Eldon Burdick, 55, of Kindred. The uninjured driver of the 2008 Peterbilt was Jerry Mallett, 60, of Buffalo, ND. The uninjured driver of the 2006 Peterbilt was Wesley Briggs, 68, of Kindred. The uninjured driver of the 1999 International was Charles Odegaard, 66, of Walcott.

In addition to the school bus driver, there were 34 students, two teachers and a para-professional on the Kindred school bus. No students or staff were transported by ambulance or treated on scene for injuries.

The NDHP was assisted on scene by the Richland County and Cass County sheriff’s offices, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the FM and Kindred ambulances, and the Kindred and Horace fire departments.

 Reported earlier…

(CSi) Officials report a Kindred Public School bus carrying 35 students on a field trip was involved in an accident Friday morning.

Officials say the school bus was travelling eastbound on Hwy 46, a semi was travelling to go west on Hwy 46 when they crashed. Another semi was heading east when it crashed into the first, splitting it in half. The third semi then rear-ended the second semi.

Officials say three students were transported to a local hospital by their parents with minor injuries.  One of the truck drivers has minor injuries.

WDAY-TV reports that officials say a semi had stopped on County Road 1 and was turning to go towards Kindred when the semi driver got out of the vehicle because the fog was so dense to see if anyone was coming. When he turned, he collided with the bus.

Pictures at WDAY TV

Posted by WDAY TV News on Friday, September 25, 2015

The driver of the school bus was pinned under the bus for 40 minutes before they were able to get her out.

The Highway Patrol temporarily closed Highway 46 between Interstate 29 and Kindred as a result of the crash.