School Bus Crash Kills 5 Children, Driver Arrested After Police Discover What He Was Doing

In November 2016, a Chattanooga school bus driver named Johnthony Walker, 24, made headlines when he wrapped the bus he was driving crashed and killed six children. There were 35 children on the bus at the time of the crash that ranged from kindergarten to fifth grade.

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Twenty other children were taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries. The rescue itself was complicated, and it took the rescue workers more than two hours to extricated the children.

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At the time, Walker was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and six counts of vehicular homicide.

Image Credit: Chattanooga Fire Department

According to CBS News, Walker was speeding on a winding road when the bus swerved and hit the tree.

Walker has been behind bars since the incident occurred and a new charge was added – use of a portable electronic device by a school bus driver. Does that mean he was on his phone or something?!

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We put our children’s lives into the hands of bus drivers, the least they could do is not text while driving! The charge of vehicular manslaughter against Walker has a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

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For the six lives that ended too soon, thirty years isn’t enough. A federal lawsuit filed against Walker said he had a habit of driving recklessly and would slam on the brakes to discipline the children.

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CBS News reported that the complaints lodged against Walker to the school district were never addressed. Six children died, maybe next time the district will act on complaints.