Texas Church Bus Accident Leaves 13 Dead

At least 13 people were dead and two others were injured in a head-on crash involving a 2004 Turtle Top bus that was ferrying a church group. According to a Fox news report, all the victims who died were senior adults who attended First Baptist Church of New Braunfels, Texas, including the driver. The bus was carrying 14 senior adults and traveling on U.S. 83 outside Garner State Park in northern Uvalde County when a pickup truck driver, 20-year-old Jack Dillon Young, veered into the opposite lane of traffic and crashed into the church bus.

Tragic Accident Involved Reckless Driver

The bus driver and all of the passengers died except for one passenger, 64-year-old Rose Mary Harris, who survived, but has been hospitalized in critical condition. The driver of the pickup was also injured. Drivers had apparently alerted highway authorities about the driver of the pickup behaving recklessly and swerving. But tragedy had struck before deputies could catch up with the driver. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident.

Even though we’ve heard about and handled cases involving 15-passenger vans, which are popular for transportation among church groups, officials say the bus involved here was a 2004 Turtle Top. The manufacturer’s website features shuttle buses with capacities ranging from 17 to 51, which they bill as “a great alternative to the standard 15-passenger van.”

Our heartfelt condolences go out to all the families that have lost loved ones as a result of this horrific crash. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the lone survivor of the collision. We wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Justice for Victims and Families

A tragic and traumatic event such as this bus crash is heartbreaking for all involved – family members, friends and the community at large. We hope that family members of the victims and the injured victim get the support and the resources they need to get through this challenging situation. In this case, the at-fault driver can be held accountable for the damages and losses caused. In addition, it would be a good idea to get an auto defect lawyer involved to look into whether design flaws in the bus or failure of seat restraint systems caused or contributed the catastrophic and fatal injuries.