Woman killed in collision with Ronan school bus

A Kalispell woman was killed Monday after the SUV she was driving collided with a school bus carrying children to K. William Harvey Elementary School in Ronan.

Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said no children were injured in the accident, which occurred around 8 a.m. along U.S. Highway 93 near an area called Lake’s Corner.

Bell said Cheryl Ann Brown, 56, was driving northbound when her vehicle appeared to have crossed the center line of the highway and collided with the front of the school bus heading south.

Brown was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Bell. A male passenger in the vehicle was found “walking and talking,” Bell said. He was treated and released from a local hospital.

Bell said the children on the bus were “a little shaken” but otherwise unharmed. They were picked up by another bus and taken to school, where Bell said they were met by parents.

While fresh snow was covering the highway at the time, Montana Highway Patrolman Zach Miller said investigators suspect alcohol was the primary factor in the crash. He said an investigation is currently underway.