Fiery Collision Kills 7 In Church Van

A church van carrying children home from a youth basketball game collided with a bus on an icy road and burst into flames, killing the van driver and all six of his young passengers.

The children, ages 10 to 15, were players on the church’s school team, said Champaign County coroner Eldon Quick.

The van driver, Jesse Hughes, 26, an assistant pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Urbana, apparently lost control of the vehicle, which was broadsided by the chartered tour bus, authorities said Saturday.

Eleven people on the bus suffered minor injuries, authorities said.