Distressing dashcam shows Texas school bus flip over after being struck by concrete truck that veered into its path killing adorable five-year-old boy inside and driver of third vehicle
Disturbing dashcam footage has emerged showing a Texas school bus colliding with a concrete truck in its path, killing a five-year-old boy.
The incident occurred on March 22 when a Hays County school district bus, which was carrying pre-K students at the time, was struck by the truck on Highway 21.
Students had returned from a field trip to the Bastrop Zoo with 44 children on board and 11 adults at the time of the incident.
From the bus’s dashcam, you can see the cement truck cross the center line and latch onto the back of the bus a few seconds later.
After the strike, the bus is seen swerving before turning over and landing back on its wheels.
Five-year-old student Ulises Rodriguez Montoya was killed in the collision as a result of his injuries, as was 33-year-old Ryan Wallace, who had been driving behind the bus.
Footage of the collision shows the bus driver attempting to enter the emergency lane of the highway as the large truck speeds towards it
Five-year-old student Ulises Rodriguez Montoya was killed in the collision as a result of his injuries
Ryan Wallace, 33, died after his vehicle was also involved in the collision. He was driving behind the school bus at the time
Aerial photos taken after the collision show debris scattered across the highway, as the mangled bus sits idle and police stand around it.
According to KVUEThe investigation into the crash remains ongoing, with officials in Texas saying no charges have yet been filed.
The school district said the bus involved, which was carrying staff and students from Tom Green Elementary School, was not equipped with seat belts.
The Texas Legislature in 2017 mandated that districts begin purchasing buses with seat belts, but the bus in question was a 2011 model bus.
The district said all injured students had been released from the hospital as of Monday, with one staff member continuing to receive care CBS.
Law enforcement officials have yet to publicly identify the driver of the truck, which company owns it and why the driver veered from his lane.
Paying tribute to Montoya, Naira Solis Shears, his teacher said: “He had a talent for drawing and his favorite drawing was dinosaurs.
‘He could spell the word dinosaur almost completely, which shows how smart he was. He always had a dinosaur drawn for all the assignments he handed in.
‘He loved to tell stories and shared many with his friends and family. Above all, he was a loving child.” The little boy’s family added that he loved the color green and loved school.
Students had returned from a field trip to the Bastrop Zoo, with 44 children on board and 11 adults at the time of the incident
After the initial collision, the bus tumbles across the highway, while another vehicle is also seen behind the bus after being hit by the truck.
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper inspects the scene of the fatal school bus crash
Wallace was a student at the University of Texas working on his Ph.D.
University faculty described him to KVUE as “positive, friendly and optimistic.”
Professor Kathleen McElroy told the outlet, “He developed this undergraduate program. It was very successful, and I think he had a very warm way of taking very heady topics and making them palatable to young people. And that is a gift.’
His family said in a statement: “We do not have the words to express the immense and tragic loss we feel after an individual pierced the hearts of our family and turned the homes of so many others upside down.
“Ryan had finally found a rhythm and was genuinely feeling very happy and grateful for the life he worked so hard to build.”
Fundraisers have been set up for the family of the young boy and Wallace to help their families cover funeral costs.
Aerial photographs taken after the collision show debris scattered across the highway, as the mangled bus sits stationary and police stand around it
Officers are seen examining the wreckage of the school bus after the incident last week
The school district said all injured students had been released from the hospital as of Monday
Miriam Loredo, Montoya’s aunt, said in a message to her GoFundMe: ‘Our hearts are broken now, our cousin lost his life on March 22nd while coming home from a fun day at school.
‘He was such a sweet child, was always happy and just an innocent child. He now leaves his family in so much pain. Please help us make this a little less stressful for them as they are very devastated at the moment.”
Since launching five days ago, the fundraiser has raised more than $85,000 in donations.
A similar fundraiser was set up by Professor McElroy for Wallace, which has so far raised more than $11,000 in two days.
Families were notified of the crash and spent agonizing hours waiting to be reunited with their children.
People are transported after a fatal school bus crash near Austin – the class of kindergarteners was returning from a visit to the zoo
A little girl is transported Friday after a fatal school bus crash on Texas State Highway 21 near Caldwell Road
Families reunite with their children at Tom Green Elementary in Buda, Texas, after the school’s kindergarten students were involved in a bus crash
For many children on the bus, the accident was a tragic end to their first excursion.
According to a local KXAN reportHector Campos said receiving the call Friday that his daughter’s school bus had been in an accident was “the worst feeling in the world.”
“You never think you’d get one, and my heart immediately sank.”
The concerned father says he rushed to the crash site, where he waited for hours to see if his daughter was okay.
‘It was complete chaos there. It was very difficult,” he said. His daughter Caliana escaped the fatal crash with only a few scratches.