by TIM STELLOH and ALEX JOHNSON – A school bus carrying members and coaches of a Colorado high school football team crashed into a concrete pillar Sunday at Denver International Airport, killing the driver and injuring 18 passengers, authorities said.
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Joe Ferdani, a spokesman for the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District, said 15 students from Legacy High School in Broomfield, north of Denver, were transported to four hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Most have been treated and released, Ferdani said.
Three coaches suffered "more serious injuries," he said.
A spokesman for Denver Health Medical Center told NBC News that it was treating five patients, two of them in critical condition. Five more were listed in fair condition at Children's Hospital Colorado, a spokeswoman told NBC News.
UPDATE: the entire Five Star Community extends thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by the bus accident today. (1/6)
— Five Star Schools (@Adams12) September 12, 2016
The driver, a woman who wasn't identified, was killed, Denver police Sgt. Michael W. Farr said.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash. Heath Montgomery, a spokesman for the airport, said the bus had been approaching the passenger arrivals section on the fourth level of the east terminal about 4 p.m. (6 p.m. ET) when it veered into a support bridge for an upper level.
Farr said that the driver's route was "curious" and that she "should not have been coming back up, but she did."
The school district said a crisis response team will be at Legacy High School on Monday "supporting staff and students."
In a Facebook post Sunday night, the school's student government said: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the legacy football team, coaches, and families."
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Legacy football team, coaches, and all families affected ❤️ #legacystrong
Posted by Legacy Lightning on Sunday, September 11, 2016