Morrison, IL – On February 13th, 2023, at 7:29 AM Whiteside County Deputies were dispatched to 17218 Lincoln Road (US-30) for a car vs. school bus crash with injuries. The initial crash investigation determined that Zane J. Gifford, age 32, of Whitewater, WI, was traveling westbound on US-30 when he rear-ended a Morrison Community School District bus (operated by RC Smith Transportation). The bus was stopped in the westbound lane with red lights flashing while a child got on the bus. Gifford sustained severe injuries and was airlifted by a MedForce helicopter to Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford, IL. One student on the bus was transported by CGH Ambulance to Morrison Community Hospital with suspected minor injuries. The bus driver and five other students on the bus were not injured. Whiteside County Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Illinois State Police, Morrison Police Department, Morrison Community Hospital Ambulance, Morrison Fire Department, CGH Ambulance, MedForce Helicopter, and Hunter’s Towing.
