Band Director Mark Mendell told the paper, the coach they were in was traveling east on U.S. Highway 34 between the Colorado cities of Loveland and Greeley when a van crossed the median of the divided highway and crashed into the front corner of the bus next to the driver. Mendell said the bus driver did a good job of anticipating the impending crash, tried to avoid the collision, and was able to maintain control of the vehicle while bringing it to a stop along the shoulder. The driver of the van faces charges, but officials did not indicate at the time what those charges were.

A replacement bus arrived on the scene after about 2 1/12 hours, due to traffic congestion. The bus then took the Abe Lincoln ensemble back to Iowa. Mendell said a nearby convenience store provided the students with free soft drinks while there was a temporary layover due to the crash.