A 19-year-old Minnesota woman, Svea Snickers, is facing felony charges following a school bus collision that resulted in injuries to over 20 children. The charges were filed on December 26, several months after the September 12 accident that also injured Snickers and the bus driver. The children, ranging in age from 5 to 17, suffered injuries varying from mild to moderate, but no fatalities were reported.
According to law enforcement, Snickers disregarded a stop sign in her Toyota RAV4, colliding with the school bus and causing it to overturn into a nearby ditch. Investigations revealed that Snickers had taken a screenshot on Snapchat just moments before the 911 call was made.
Snickers sustained the most severe injuries from the accident. The 52-year-old bus driver was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The official charging documents indicate that ten of the children were also taken to the hospital, with five diagnosed with concussions or fractures. Other injuries included minor cuts, scrapes, bruising, and pain.
Charging documents obtained by Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP reveal that Snickers admitted to Minnesota State Troopers in an interview a week after the crash that she was using her phone at the time of the accident. She reportedly confessed to sending a “voice text” on Snapchat and making a video. A search warrant was issued for her phone, which confirmed that Snickers had taken a screenshot on Snapchat just before the 911 calls reporting the crash were made.
The criminal complaint, obtained by Fox affiliate KMSP, disclosed that Snickers was returning home from her boyfriend’s house and was reportedly sending the Snapchat text to a friend. Initially, she told state troopers that she had sent the text while driving on a different road before the accident. However, her cellphone data revealed that the text was sent much closer to the time of the crash. Snickers was also charged with using an app while driving.
Vehicle data obtained by Minnesota State Troopers allegedly showed that Snickers was driving between 48-53 mph and did not apply her brakes at the stop sign. Snickers was charged via summons and is scheduled to appear in court on January 30.