Cary Man, 21, Faces DUI Charges In School Bus Crash

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — A 21-year-old Cary man faces drunken driving charges after his car collided head on with a school bus Wednesday morning.

James T. Owens has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of marijuana by a driver, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle while using an electronic communication device in connection with the crash that happened on Crystal Lake Avenue near Hamilton Drive in unincorporated Crystal Lake, according to a news release from the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

The man's 2001 Mazda Tribute was headed east on Crystal Lake Avenue when it crossed the centerline and hit a Prairie Grove School District 46 school bus head-on. Owens was taken by helicopter to Advocate Condell Medical Center with serious injuries that are not considered life-threatening, police said.

One child on the school bus sustained minor injuries, was evaluated by paramedics and released to a parent. The school bus was evacuated and a second school bus was sent to the scene to take the children to school, police said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.