Reporter: Aaron Kunz

A tour bus carrying high school band students from Utah tipped over on I-15 near McCammon Saturday evening at 7:18pm.  Captain Eric Dayley with the Idaho State Police says there was one fatality - a 38 year old woman who died in the crash.  He confirms there were approximately 50 students on the bus, none of them suffered life threatening injuries.

KPVI has confirmed the woman, Heather Christensen who died was a woodwind instructor at American Fork High School and a favorite teacher.  One parent tells KPVI that she did not have children and that she treated these students at school like her own kids.

The American Fork band instructor John Miller calls Christensen a hero who saw the female bus driver pass out and grabbed the wheel.  When the bus flipped she went out the driver side window.  Miller says Christensen died trying to save the kids.

The band students are holding a tribute for Christensen tomorrow night in Utah for the teacher they loved. 

Earlier this evening - EMT's and Fire Rescue used airbags to lift the bus so they can get inside to help those trapped.  Sheriff Lorin Nielson says 3 students will be staying the night at Portneuf Medical Center, the bus driver has been released.

Just after 10pm Saturday evening, a gas leak on the bus caused a fire hazard when crews couldn't disconnect the battery.  The McCammon Fire Department were called to monitor the situation.  All the kids were evacuated and only emergency personnel are on scene.

James Kimball, 16, a band member at American Fork, told the AP that he saw the bus swerve off the road and go on its side in a ditch off I-15.

"I was on the bus right behind it. We were watching a movie and I looked forward and saw the bus bouncing across the side of the road," the high school junior told the Tribune in a separate interview. "The bus flew off to the side, bumped across a couple hills and rolled over."

Distraught students sang church hymns after learning of the instructor's death, Kimball said.

Mike Huestis, the band's assistant director, told the newspaper that authorities worked to ensure that all people on the trip were accounted for and examined for injuries. Police said the bus had about 50 students, two adults and one driver on board.

Huestis traveled to the competition in his own car and was ahead of the buses. He did not see the crash, he said.

Kimball said the band, one of Utah's best known, won the Pocatello competition. The school's bands have won the Utah state title for the past 19 years. The school band also performed at President George Bush's 2005 inauguration and marched in the 2007 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York.

*Interview with John Miller in the video section.