Hospital spokeswoman: 23 treated, 3 serious injuries in Cottonmouths bus crash

PEORIA, Ill. — A hospital spokesman at a Peoria, Ill., regional trauma center said that 23 members of the Columbus Cottonmouths hockey team and staff were treated for a variety of injuries Thursday after an interstate bus crash.

Three of the injuries were serious, but not life threatening, said OFS St. Francis Medical Center spokeswoman Stacy Campbell. The names of the injured were not released.

The bus carrying the team from Columbus to Peoria for the Southern Professional Hockey League weekend series with the Rivermen when it crashed in Morton, Ill., about 10 miles from the hospital.

Many of the players were treated for minor injuries, cuts and bruises, Campbell said.

"The players that have been released are gathering in a room waiting for a bus to take them to the team hotel," Campbell said.

The hospital set up an incident command about 1:30 CST to receive the injured. By 3 CST, the hospital had gone back to normal operations, Campbell said.

The injured were brought to St. Francis via ambulance and school bus. No one was airlifted, Campbell said.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Hospital spokeswoman: 23 treated, 3 serious injuries in Cottonmouths bus crash."