Texas school bus crash: District says bus did not have seatbelts

Bus involved in crash had no seatbelts

The school bus involved in Friday's deadly crash in Bastrop County did not have seatbelts, according to Hays CISD.

BUDA, Texas - Stuffed animals fill the base of a growing memorial outside Tom Green Elementary School in Buda on Saturday.

"I can't believe it, especially pre-K," said Joann Thornton, who lives nearby.

It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the loss of a young life.

"No one wants to hear what we had to hear," said Molly Andrews, the community leadership representative for Tom Green.

The boy, a preschooler onboard a Tom Green Elementary school bus, died Friday after a collision with a concrete truck in Bastrop County. A man who was driving a third vehicle behind the bus was also killed.

Hays CISD said three staff members and two students are still in the hospital. The two students and one of the staff members are expected to be released soon.

TX school bus crash: 2 dead in Bastrop Co.

Texas DPS said three vehicles were involved in the deadly crash, resulting in two deaths.

"It can hit home to anybody and hit here too hard, you know, it’s not fair," said Andrews.

The district also shared that the bus did not have seatbelts on it. Texas began requiring all buses purchased in 2017 and later to have seat belts. However, this bus was a 2011 model. Out of the district’s 200-bus fleet, it said only 40 have seatbelts.

A representative for the district added they don’t know if a seatbelt would have made a difference for the student who died in the crash, but the district will discuss accelerating its bus replacement process in an upcoming meeting.

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Back at Tom Green, neighbors are still trying to process the shock. Thornton brought flowers to lay at the memorial.

"I just wanted to be sure and do something to show that I was thinking about them and supported the school," said Thornton.

A GoFundMe is also supporting the families to help with funerals and other unexpected expenses. It raised more than $20,000 in less than 24 hours.

"That just kind of goes to show just how amazing this staff, these teachers, these families are," said Andrews. "How strong this community is because there’s nobody more deserving than the people at Tom Green."

Tom Green Elementary is canceling classes on Monday but will leave doors open to those seeking trauma counseling.

Andrews said she’s also heard families are planning on decorating the fence leading up to the school to show their support.