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One person killed, 17 students injured in school bus crash near Ephraim

The crash involved a pickup and two school buses.

Photo by: Utah Highway Patrol

Photo by: Utah Highway Patrol

One person was killed and 18 others were injured after a pickup truck struck two school buses Friday night near Ephraim.

The two school buses were with Wasatch Academy, a college-preparatory boarding school based in Mt. Pleasant.

The Utah Highway Patrol reported the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on US-89, about five miles north of Ephraim. The truck was heading southbound when it drifted into the northbound lane.

The pickup grazed the first bus, carrying 19 students, then struck the second bus head-on. The 43-year-old male driver of the truck, later identified as Melvin Beckstead, of Sterling, died at the scene.

The 17 students and the driver inside the second bus were transported to a nearby hospital with various injuries, with two in critical condition. Most were treated and released immediately, and by Monday, none of their injuries were considered life-threatening, authorities said.

For more on this story, visit our partner Fox13.

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