A harrowing video has been released showing the moment a cement truck in Texas collided with a school bus packed with pre-K students returning from a trip to the zoo, resulting in the deaths of a young boy and a man. The footage reveals the cement truck veering across double yellow lines and crashing nearly head-on with the bus, causing it to roll over. Just before impact, cries can be heard, and as the bus hits the ground, a fireball appears to explode while crash debris flies around. The incident occurred near Texas State Highway 21 and Caldwell Road in Bastrop County, a rural highway outside Austin.
The video, which includes front-facing and side-facing camera footage, released by the Hays Consolidated Independent School District, shows other drivers abandoning their cars to rush toward the bus. Five-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya and 33-year-old Ryan Wallace, who was driving a vehicle behind the bus and collided with it, lost their lives in the tragic event. Wallace, a doctoral student at the University of Texas, was among those who did not survive. More than 40 pre-K students from Tom Green Elementary School were onboard the bus, many of whom sustained injuries in addition to the two fatalities.
The crash, which happened around 2 p.m., remains under investigation by authorities. They have not disclosed the speeds at which the vehicles were traveling at the time of the collision. No charges have been filed against the cement truck driver involved in the accident. According to reports, the driver admitted to Texas police that he had smoked marijuana the night before the crash and had only slept for three hours before consuming cocaine at 1 a.m. on the morning of the incident. The driver also refused to provide a blood sample for analysis while being treated at the hospital following the crash.
The shocking incident highlights the devastating consequences of reckless driving behavior on a rural highway outside Austin, Texas. The alarming footage captures the moment when a cement truck crashes into a school bus filled with young students, resulting in tragic fatalities and injuries. The aftermath of the collision, which caused the bus to roll over, shows the horrifying impact of the crash as onlookers rush to help the victims. The driver of the cement truck has admitted to drug use prior to the collision, which is now under investigation by authorities.
The devastating collision serves as a grim reminder of the importance of safe driving practices and abiding by traffic laws to prevent such tragic incidents. The video footage of the crash sheds light on the chaos and destruction caused by the collision, leaving a community in mourning for the lives lost. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and have not yet determined the exact cause or factors contributing to the collision. The heart-wrenching loss of young Ulises Rodriguez Montoya and doctoral student Ryan Wallace serves as a stark reminder of the importance of prioritizing road safety and responsible driving behaviors to prevent such heartbreaking accidents in the future.
