AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) released the crash report related to the fatal Hays CISD school bus crash.
The report provided a breakdown of the events of the crash as well as information on all of the people involved.
According to the report, a total of 59 people were involved in the incident, 56 of which were on the school bus.
The report showed 40 people from the school bus were taken to the hospital and 14 were returned to Tom Green Elementary. One student was picked up at the scene, and 5-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, the student who died, was taken to a funeral home in Bastrop.
The report showed 33-year-old Ryan Wallace, who also died at the scene, was taken to the same funeral home as Ulises.
Below is TxDOT’s explanation of the crash.
A concrete pump truck driven by Jerry Hernandez was traveling east on State Highway 21, and a Hays CISD school bus was traveling west on SH 21. A Hyundai driven by Wallace and a Toyota were also traveling west on SH 21 behind the school bus, the report states.
The concrete truck drove onto the wrong side of the road—not passing—and crossed over the double yellow center stripe as it approached the school bus. The driver of the school bus swerved to the right but was unable to avoid the collision, according to the report.
TxDOT said the concrete truck struck the school bus, and the impact caused the school bus to spin counterclockwise and roll right over top one complete rotation. The school bus came to a stop upright after rolling over.
The concrete truck continued east in the westbound lanes of SH 21.
The driver of the Toyota swerved across the center lines to avoid a collision with the concrete truck. The Toyota had minor damage due to debris from the collision between the concrete truck and the school bus.
The concrete truck struck the Hyundai’s right front quarter with its front left. The Hyundai was pushed backward by the collision and came to a stop on the westbound improved shoulder.
The concrete truck continued across the westbound improved shoulder and traveled through a guardrail on the north side of the roadway. It then overturned on its right side in the ditch north of the roadway.
Hernandez stated he slept about three hours the night before the crash and took a 15-minute nap before leaving the location where he was working just before the crash. Driver fatigue may have contributed to the crash, the report said.
The report said Hernandez stated he swerved across the center line to avoid a vehicle stopping ahead of him; however, this was not supported by video evidence of the crash.
Hernandez made statements indicating drug use the night before and the morning of the crash. Drug use may have also contributed to the crash. A blood specimen was collected from Hernandez and toxicology is pending, the report said.
The crash remains under investigation.
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