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N.D. (AP) – The head of Larimore Public Schools says the bus driver who was killed in a train collision was a longtime valuable member of the faculty and well-liked by students and staff.

62 year-old Max Danner was driving the bus that collided with an empty BNSF freight train Monday afternoon. One 17-year-old student was killed and 12 other students were injured, including seven girls between the ages of 5 and 15 and five boys between 6 and 16.

Superintendent Roger Abbe says he has known Danner for 30 years and calls his death a huge loss for the community of about 1,400 people.

Abbe says Danner developed outstanding vocational agriculture and FFA programs at the school. Some of Danner’s classes were carpentry, engines, welding, livestock and introduction to agriculture.

Police say driver error is likely the cause of a crash involving a school bus and an empty freight train in North Dakota that killed two people and injured 12 more.

Highway Patrol Lt. Troy Hischer says evidence at the scene indicates the 62-year-old bus driver was braking when the crash happened Monday afternoon near Larimore, but that he didn’t stop in time. The driver and a 17-year-old girl were killed.

Hischer says authorities will examine the bus to make sure there were no mechanical problems, but authorities don’t expect to find any. He says authorities will be talking with bus passengers to determine if something happened to distract the driver.

Altru Health System in Grand Forks didn’t have condition updates on the injured students early Tuesday.