Sadly, a sixth child has passed away from the tragic bus accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The bus crash occurred on Monday when the students were being driven home from school. According to cnn.com, the driver of the bus, Johnthony Walker, went off the road and collided head on with a tree and turned over.
Surprisingly, blood tests on the driver did not find any drugs or alcohol in his system. In addition to the six children who were killed, another 12 suffered significant injuries, including serious head injuries and spinal injuries. Six of those 12 students are still hospitalized.
Apparently the bus was not on the regularly scheduled path and the driver was speeding. There are also reports that the bus driver asked the students if they were ready to die before the crash. This indicates that the bus driver may have intentionally caused this horrible crash.
Our sincerest condolences go out to the families of the young victims who were killed in this crash and we wish a fast recovery to those who suffered injuries.
The driver of the bus is facing serious criminal charges for his actions. If it was determined that he crashed the bus intentionally, there should be murder charges added on as well. Investigators will have to determine if this driver was fit to be driving a bus in the first place and examine whether the background and other checks currently in place are enough for someone transporting many children.
Families of the victims will likely make wrongful death and personal injury claims against the school district and the bus company, Durham School Services. One such personal injury lawsuit was already filed and we assume that many more will follow.