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Investigators continue their probe, but a full report may take weeks
DALE — Officials have released the identities of a 5-year-old preschooler and an adult who perished in a collision March 22 involving a Hays Consolidated Independent School District school bus and a cement truck in southwest Bastrop County.
The mishap sent 10 others with severe injuries to area hospitals via helicopter and ground transportation, according to the Department of Public Safety.
On Monday, investigators said the probe into the tragedy continued, but no new information would be released for now.
“This is a horrible and tragic day for our school district. We continue to pray for everyone affected, those still in the hospital, and their loved ones,” said Hays Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Eric Wright.
Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, who attended Tom Green Elementary School, died at the scene, officials said. He was one of 44 children — ages 4 to 6 — and 11 adults making the return trip to Buda from an outing to the Bastrop County Zoo when the accident took place about 2 p.m., officials said.
A GoFundMe account has reached close to $45,000 to help pay for funeral expenses for the 5-year-old.
According to officials, a cement truck traveling east on Texas 21 veered from its lane and struck the school bus carrying the prekindergarten students and other passengers near the FM 812 intersection.
The bus flipped on its side and a Dodge Charger collided with the upturned vehicle, killing the driver of the Charger, who was identified as Ryan Wallace, 33, investigators said.
“The pain we continue to feel today is profound and there remain no words that can capture the depth of our grief. As we come to terms with this tragedy, it is crucial that we stand together as a community, supporting one another as we navigate through this difficult period,” said Jennifer Hanna, principal of Green.
DPS Sgt. Deon Cockrell said investigators will continue to probe the incident, but added there is still much work to be done.
“Anything is possible at this time,” Cockrell said. “During this challenging time, our priorities are to ensure that the children receive necessary evaluation and treatment for any injuries sustained and to thoroughly investigate the crash.”
The accident will be reconstructed as the investigation proceeds, which could take several weeks, he added.
The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, Austin-Travis County EMS and local firefighters provided medical assistance to the injured.
Hays CISD promptly identified all school-bus occupants and informed parents and guardians so they could be reunited with their children.
“We did an on-scene triage and continuous triage as we were getting units available to move those folks,” said Kevin Parker, Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services division chief. “This involved approximately nine EMS agencies. We are very near the county line, and requested mutual-aid … We sent five ambulances, two commanders and two chiefs to the scene along with multiple other agencies that provided mutual aid.”
First responders evaluated 53 patients. Four of the injured were transported by helicopter, while six with potentially serious injuries were rushed by vehicles to medical care. Ten patients were taken to children’s hospitals with minor injuries, and the remainder did not require transport, added Parker.
Responders worked with the Capital Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council to coordinate patient dropoffs to ensure hospitals weren’t overloaded.
Three staff members and two students remained hospitalized at press deadline, officials said.
“It’s difficult when you find children this young involved in a crash, especially when there is a deceased or major injury,” Cockrell said. “The school came out, they took care of the children, they reunified the children with their family members.”
The school bus was not equipped with seat belts, according to the district.
It was a 2011 model, and Hays CISD began purchasing buses with seat belts in 2017, when a change in state law mandated that restraints be included, officials said. About 40 of the district’s 200 buses were purchased before the mandate and do not use seat belts. This will be a topic discussed with the district’s Facilities and Bond Oversight Committee, potentially accelerating the normal Hays CISD bus replacement cycle, according to board members.
Meanwhile, investigators have declined to release the cement-truck driver’s name, confirm if he suffered any injuries or provide further details of the investigation.
Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz has not yet provided a comment.
The regular school day for Green was canceled Monday, but crisis and trauma counselors remained on site for students and staff members. The event was closed to media outlets to respect the privacy and recovery process for those affected by the event.
The district’s Monday school board meeting also was canceled.
Members of area school districts such as Bastrop, Elgin, Taylor and Hutto along with employees at several businesses wore green Monday and Tuesday to show support for the students and families of Green.
More information is available at www.hayscisd.net/tgesbus.
Staff writers Jason Hennington, Hunter Dworaczyk and Suzanne Stevens contributed to this report.
