MINNESOTA ? A school bus and several other vehicles crashed in southwestern Minnesota on Tuesday, killing four students and forcing the first-arriving motorists to rush some of the injured to nearby hospitals.

The bus was hit by a van around 3:25 p.m. on a highway north of Cottonwood. The bus then hit a pickup and tipped on its side, State Patrol Lt. Mark Peterson said. At least 14 people were hurt.

Rescue squads and ambulances from many nearby cities arrived at the crash site. The Marshall Independent reported that the first motorists on the scene were asked to take some children to the hospital.

The bus was on its regular route, carrying children from kindergarten through 12th grade.