Police confirmed three people were killed in a crash involving a passenger car and a school bus closed Highway 61 near Louisa-Muscatine High School.
The crash was reported just before 7:30 a.m.
Police said a 2005 Nissan Sentra was northbound on Highway 61 just south of the school when the driver lost control on the icy roadway. The car
crossed the center line and collided with a school bus traveling the opposite direction.
A spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol confirmed there we
re no students on the school bus. Initial reports indicated the passengers in the car were injured, and police later said three adult occupants of the car were killed in the crash.
The car occupants were later identified as Katherine Newton, 78; Barbara Higgs, 75 and Mark Kaltefleiter, 50, all of Burlington.
The bus driver, 35-year-old Seth Singleton of Wapello, was also hospitalized for injuries he suffered in the wreck.
A spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol said road conditions in the area were mostly clear but icy and slick areas remain on some roadways.
Highway 61 remained closed hours after the crash. Traffic was allowed to resume travel on the highway by about 10:30 a.m.