Chattanooga School Bus Crash: Five Children Killed, Driver Arrested (UPDATES)

CHATTANOOGA, TN — Five children were killed when a school bus crashed into a tree in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Monday afternoon, and the bus driver has been arrested.

Late Monday night, bus driver Johnthony Walker, 24, was charged with five counts of vehicular homicide and reckless driving connected to the crash on hilly, curvy Talley Road. His license had been previously suspended from March 3 to March 28, 2014, for failure to provide proof of insurance after an October 2013 crash. His license is currently in good standing.

According to his driving history, Walker was involved in another wreck while driving a bus Sept. 20. According to police reports, he sideswiped a Kia Soul going in the opposite direction at a blind curve on Sylvan Drive in Chattanooga. Walker failed to yield. No one was hurt in the incident, and it's unclear from the accident report if any children were on the bus during that incident.

Tuesday Morning, Hamilton County Superintendent of Schools Kirk Kelly confirmed four boys and one girl— three fourth-graders, a kindergartner and a first-grader — were killed, while 12 other children are hospitalized, six of whom are in intensive care. Twenty other children are home with their families, Kelly said.

Also Tuesday, State Rep. Gerald McCormick, a Chattanooga Republican, said he asked the General Assembly's legal staff to begin drafting legislation that would require school buses to have seat belts.

“I know it’s expensive but that’s the biggest budget item we have in the state – education – and if we can’t guarantee or do as much as we can to guarantee the safety of these kids as they go to and from school then the rest of it is pretty useless,” McCormick said, according to The Tennessean.

Photos posted by the Chattanooga Fire Department show the bus toppled on its side with a tree involved. The bus was carrying 35 schoolchildren ranging from kindergarten to the fifth grade. Officials said 23 of them were taken to local hospitals.

Concerned family members were asked to go to Woodmore Elementary where the students attended. At the final press update of the day, Chattanooga police chief Fred Fletcher said not all families have been reunited and asked anyone who may have driven a child from the crash scene to the hospital to contact Chattanooga Police.

"Please pray for the families of those affected by this horrible accident," Mayor Andy Berke tweeted.

Walker was questioned after the accident and cooperated with investigators, according to police. At a press conference, Fletcher said determining whether speed and alcohol were a part of the crash was a part of the investigation. Fletcher said he had received reports that a pole might have been involved as well as the tree, however that was not confirmed.

He called the crash a public safety professional's worst nightmare.

As news of the crash spread, there was an outpouring of support from state and local officials. Fletcher said everybody who can help had offered assistance. The Community Foundation of Chattanooga and the city's United Way have set up a fund to help the families of the children.

Col. Tracy Trott of the Tennessee Highway Patrol tweeted to offer his condolences to the families of the children that were killed and injured in the bus crash.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, who represents Tennessee's third congressional district, tweeted that he was heartbroken over the tragedy.

"Thoughts, prayers to victims of tragic school bus crash in Chattanooga & their families. A very sad situation. Will do all we can to assist," Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam tweeted.

Blood Assurance, the sole blood provider for healthcare facilities in five states, stayed open until 7 p.m. for donations. The blood bank has also extended its hours for Tuesday.

A photo posted by local news channel WTVC showed the line to donate blood stretched out the door.

Fletcher said the number one priority for authorities was to care for those injured in the crash. After that, the priority for officials was to care for the families involved and investigate the crash. The NTSB is launching a go team to investigate the crash that will arrive in Chattanooga on Tuesday.

Schools in Chattanooga will be open Tuesday and extra personnel will be on staff to help children, the Times Free Press reported.

Patch will update this breaking news story. Refresh this page for updates. Additional reporting by J.R. Lind.

Image via Chattanooga Fire Department