Benton Community High School student dies after her van collides with school bus

VAN HORNE - A Benton Community High School student died Wednesday after the van she was driving collided with a school bus.

The Iowa State Patrol said MacKenzie Kvam, 16, of Belle Plaine, was driving a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan north on 15th Avenue, also known as Benton County Road V44, just north of Highway 30.

The van dropped off the shoulder of the road multiple times. The driver overcorrected and crossed the path of a southbound Benton Community school bus around 7:30 a.m.

The bus collided with the van's driver's side door. Kvam died at the scene.

Five students on the bus were treated for minor injuries. Their names were not released.

The school bus driver, Allison Hicks, 51, of Garrison, was uninjured.

Benton Community Superintendent Pamela Ewell said in a statement the district mourns 'the significant loss the student's family and our school community are experiencing.”

Counseling services are being made available at the school.

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