Teen girl killed, 6 others seriously hurt in school bus crash on I-40 in eastern Arizona

SANDERS, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- A teen girl died after a Holbrook school bus carrying 23 people inside was rear-ended by a semi-truck on the I-40 in eastern Arizona on Sunday morning, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Troopers responded to the crash which happened in the eastbound lanes of I-40 around 9:30 a.m. at milepost 328 not far from Sanders, a community about 55 miles east of Holbrook. Investigators say traffic had slowed in the area after a rollover crash that morning. The school bus was reportedly slowing down when it was rear-ended by a semi-truck and as a result, was pushed into another van, causing a three-car pile-up.

A teen girl, identified as 17-year-old Kiarra Alma Gordon from Wide Ruins of the Navajo Nation, died from her injuries in the crash. She was a student at Holbrook Indian School, and on a school field trip that was heading to Window Rock.

School officials say six other students were treated at a Flagstaff hospital. Three were evaluated and released while, as of early Monday afternoon, three remain hospitalized in stable condition. The school says trauma therapy counselors and chaplains are assisting students and staff.

The family has established a memorial fund for Kiarra. If you would like to donate, additional details can be found on Facebook through this link.

Below is a statement released by the school on Monday:

DPS says the investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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