Bus Driver Charged In Fatal Roswell Crash Granted Bond

Updated at 4:10 p.m. May 9

ROSWELL, GA -- The Roswell Police Department has released new details about the April 24 crash involving a school bus that killed two high school students as they traveled along a major highway.

According to the accident report released by the agency, the black BMW passenger vehicle occupied by James Pratt, 18, and Joseph Pratt, 14, was traveling eastbound around 3:42 p.m. in the far left lane of S.R. 92/Woodstock Road and was approaching the intersection of West Road.

The Fulton County school bus, which was occupied by special needs students from Roswell High School, was stopped at a stop sign on West Road at the Highway 92 intersection.

As the passenger vehicle approached the intersection, the school bus failed to yield after stopping at the stop sign and entered the highway, "causing a collision between the two vehicles," the report notes.

"There is little evidence of braking on the part of vehicle 2," the report notes, referring to the BMW.

After the initial crash, the bus and BMW rotated in a counter clockwise motion and came to a rest in the far left lane of the westbound lanes of Highway 92.

The Pratt brothers, students at East Cobb's Lassiter High School, were killed at the scene of the crash. James Pratt was a senior at Lassiter while Joseph was a freshman, the Cobb County School District previously told Patch. The system said the teens were on their way to dentist appointments at the time of the collision. Both brothers were also in Lassiter's NJROTC program and often volunteered with the program at Brumby Elementary School during special events and the after school program.

Funeral services for their pair were held Sunday, April 30 at Piedmont Church in Marietta. On Friday, May 5, Roswell police detectives issued arrest warrants for the school bus driver, Charles Talmadge Pitts, on charges of failure to yield from a stop sign and two counts of misdemeanor homicide by vehicle in the second degree, Roswell police spokesperson Lisa Holland confirmed to Patch.

Holland told Patch Pitts turned himself into authorities on Monday. Fulton County School System spokesperson Susan Hale told Patch the district sends its "heartfelt sympathies" to the Pratt family for their loss.

"This is a tragedy for all involved," the system added. "It’s important for all of us to know exactly what happened that day, and the school system is working closely with the Roswell Police Department and other parties to collect information that will help uncover the facts of what occurred."

Hale noted Pitts has been employed as a school bus driver for the past seven years.

Fulton County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tracy Flanagan said Pitts' first appearance was held Tuesday and he was granted a $21,000 bond on the charges. However, as part of the bond conditions, he must surrender his passport.

He also waived his probable cause hearing, which moves the case on to the Fulton County State Court docket. He will be notified by the court of his next scheduled appearance before a judge, Flanagan added.

Photo: Charles Talmadge Pitts. Credit: Fulton County Jail