Driver Charged in Deadly Chattanooga Bus Crash to Appear Before Grand Jury
The bus driver will remain in custody pending the grand jury's decision.
— -- The driver charged in connection with a deadly Tennessee school bus crash that killed six children will appear before a grand jury.
After a lengthy preliminary hearing this morning in Hamilton County General Sessions Court, Judge Lila Statom sent Johnthony Walker’s charges of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving to the grand jury, who will ultimately decide on an indictment. While making her decision, Statom said she found probable cause for formal charges.
The defendant, who is currently in custody, will remain in prison on a $107,500 bond pending the grand jury’s decision.
Police say Walker was carrying 37 students from Woodmore Elementary School in Chattanooga on the bus he was driving when it crashed on Nov. 21 at around 3:20 p.m., killing six young children and injuring several others. Two children remained hospitalized as of today, according to police. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Walker was arrested hours after the incident and charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, as well as reckless endangerment and reckless driving. A sixth vehicular homicide charge will be added for the child who died in the hospital days after the crash, according to The Associated Press.
Walker’s attorney, Amanda Dunn, has said she expects her client to plead not guilty if indicted.
Families of the young victims sat in the Hamilton County courtroom today as witnesses, including two officers with the Chattanooga Police Department’s traffic division, were called for testimony.
Officer Joe Warren, who was on scene the day of the deadly crash, said Walker was estimated to be traveling around 50 mph on Talley Road when the crash happened and there’s no evidence that he applied the brakes while the bus was overcorrecting, based on "side-slip" tire marks that investigators found on the road. The narrow, curvy street is a residential area with a speed limit of 30 mph, according to police.
Warren said video footage from the vehicle shows Walker using his cellphone on the bus. The officer did not specify at what point Walker was using the phone and did not say if he was texting or talking.
The defense attorney argued that the footage shows her client using his phone for a couple minutes while the bus was stationary as a child disembarked. Walker put the device down when he started driving again, Dunn said. She also argued that the same video footage shows Walker trying to help at least two children out of the bus after the crash.
ABC News’ Jason Volack contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
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