Woman pleads guilty in deadly Cherry school-bus crash case

The guilty plea in the Cherry school-bus crash gives families in St. Louis County a formal acknowledgment of fault in a wreck that sent children to hospitals, put a bus on its side and forced officials to rethink safety at a busy Iron Range intersection.

Svea Lynn Snickers, an Alborn woman now 20, pleaded guilty this week to felony criminal vehicular operation and gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation in connection with the September 12, 2024 crash at County Road 5 and Townline Road in Cherry Township. The SUV she was driving struck a Cherry school bus after she allegedly ran a stop sign, and the bus rolled once before landing on its side.

Court documents say investigators used warrants to determine Snickers had been using Snapchat right before the crash. That detail has made the case a blunt example of what distracted driving can do when a passenger vehicle meets a school bus carrying children to class.

The bus had 21 students on board, ranging from pre-K through 12th grade at Cherry School, which serves about 600 students. Early reports said 12 students were taken to hospitals after the crash, and later coverage said 21 students and two drivers were injured. Reported injuries included abrasions, scrapes, a concussion, a fractured collarbone and lacerations. Snickers was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries.

For Cherry School families, the crash hit a district that was already central to daily life across the Iron Range. Students returned to school in the days that followed, and St. Louis County Schools Superintendent Reggie Engebritson said additional emotional support was available as the district worked to meet students where they are at after the frightening experience.

The plea also changes the legal posture of a case that had grown much larger than a single intersection. WDIO reported in December 2024 that Snickers faced 24 charges before entering the guilty plea to two counts. Now, the case moves from a sprawling set of accusations to a formal admission tied to the crash itself.

County officials also announced safety changes at the intersection after the wreck, a sign that the consequences extended beyond the courtroom. For parents, bus riders and school staff, the message is simple: stop signs matter, phones matter and one morning mistake can ripple through an entire school community for months.