AUSTIN (KXAN) — The driver of the Leander Independent School District bus that rolled over on Aug. 13 in the Sandy Creek area of Travis County was ticketed for failing to drive in a single lane and not using a seatbelt, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Monday.
DPS said prosecutors determined criminal charges were “not warranted” for the driver.
The crash on Nameless Road caused 17 people to go to the hospital, including 16 children and the driver. DPS noted that seatbelt use by the students was limited, and the driver was not wearing a seatbelt.
Leander ISD buses all have 3-point seat belts and must wear them under state law, according to the district’s website.
A Leander ISD spokesperson provided a statement to KXAN, writing the district is “grateful that the investigation found no criminal wrongdoing.” The district also said the DPS report “reinforced the importance of consistent seatbelt use.”
“Student safety is our top responsibility, and we remain committed to reviewing our practices and strengthening reminders about seatbelt use to ensure the well-being of every child we transport,” the statement said in part.
The bus, coming from Bagdad Elementary School, was carrying 46 students after their first day of school.
The district previously told KXAN the driver was placed on administrative leave. KXAN submitted a public information request for the driver’s training records, as well as any information related to their experience. The district will send that request to the attorney general’s office on the basis of confidentiality.
Investigators said the bus crossed “the double yellow line multiple times before leaving the right side of the roadway and overturning.” Leander ISD released video of the crash showing that it was raining and the roadway was wet at the time of the crash.
According to transportation data, there have been 110 crashes on Nameless Road, a small street that stems off of 1431 and morphs into 2243. Those crashes involved 178 people and 141 vehicles.
In the days following the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it had opened a safety investigation, in conjunction with DPS, into the crash.
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