On August 13th, children who were excited to return home from school ended up in the hospital. In Austin, TX, a school bus driver, known for his talent, rolled his bus with 43 students on board. Twelve of these students were injured, but nine were immediately rushed to the hospital. Thirty-three of these students were safely reunited with their families, uninjured, but the others were in bad condition. Three different fire departments responded to the scene, along with two EMS companies. Parents must be wondering why the bus driver lost control, but nobody knows the answer. It is said as an “unknown reason”. Articles are stating that Travis County, Texas, had been hit by flooding throughout the state, and this crash was just another issue coming into the county.
It is also being discussed that it was raining the night before the crash, as well as the lingering flooding, which could be part of the reason for losing control so badly. The bus driver’s information is not being released, which raises questions about whether there was more to the story.
What makes this even worse is that the seatbelt law in Texas does not apply to certain buses. If 2018 or newer buses have passengers, they do not need seat belts; people think that will change. In other states throughout the US, the law varies, but it may change after this accident. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 26,000 school bus accidents happen a year, so why are laws still not requiring seatbelts? This rate has increased from 111 accidents per year in 2012 to 26,000 in 2025. This suggests that when hiring bus drivers, they should undergo extra training, have their backgrounds checked, and be fully approved to drive students. Public transit agencies hire these employees, and parents trust the drivers with their children, but will this lower the number of students taking buses to school? One of the mothers, named Kaleena Schumaker, with three of her children on the bus, said in an interview that she thought the roads were a part of this issue: “The state of these roads is terrible,” Schumaker said. “We’ve asked for help for over 30 years, but if we want help, apparently we have to do it ourselves.” This crash wasn’t just a tragic accident—it’s a wake-up call. With outdated laws and unknown causes, families deserve more answers and more protection because no child should leave school in the morning unsure if they’ll make it home.
What would you do if your child didn’t make it home to you on the first day of school?
