The driver in a fatal bus crash in Chattanooga, Tennessee spoke immediately after the wreck that caused the deaths of five children including a kindergartner, a first grader, and three fourth graders.
24-year-old Johnthony Walker talked to his mother after the crash.
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“He said, ‘I love you mom, I’ve been in an accident on the bus’ and he said, ‘Mom there are kids dead, I hope it’s not my fault,’” Walker’s mother said.
With five children killed, there are another twelve students still receiving treatment at the Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga. Six of them are in critical condition, according to CBS News.
The report surfaced on Tuesday that prior to the crash, Walker said some truly disturbing final words to the children.
Johnthony Walker reportedly said to the kids, “Are y’all ready to die?” before crashing the bus.
The arrest affidavit stated that Walker was driving the bus well above the 30 mph speed limit before flipping the bus and wrapping it around a tree.
“The bus was not equipped with passenger seatbelts. Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why it happened,” said Christopher Hart, NTSB Chairman.
Walker has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. He has no criminal history, and the results from the drug and alcohol in his system are still pending.
He obtained his commercial driver’s license back in April. Two months ago, Walker was involved in another minor bus crash.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher said that the crash was “every public safety professional’s worst nightmare.”
“Our hearts go out, as well as the hearts of all of these people behind me, to the families, the school, for all the people involved in this, we assure you we are doing everything we can,” said Fletcher.
Bill Haslam, the Governor of Tennessee has addressed the issue and described the crash as “a tragic event.”
“We’re going to do everything we can to assist in any way,” said Governor Haslam. “It’s a sad situation anytime there’s a school bus with children involved, which there is in this case.”
On Tuesday night, the Chattanooga community held a vigil for the victims and people released balloons into the air.
Johnthony Walker was jailed with bail being set at $107,500. He is expected to appear in court on November 29.
What are your thoughts about this bus driver’s message to his mother after the crash?
[H/T CBS News]
