The collision took place just after 4 p.m. in south Athens, and left the school bus partially wrapped around the leading locomotive. The train dragged the bus about a quarter of a mile and damaged the grade crossing gates at the Murchison Street crossing.
KRTE-TV in Pollock, Texas, reports that 78-year-old John Stevens was driving the bus. He was hired by the district in August 2018 but has 11 years prior experience driving a school bus. Stevens survived the crash and was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. He has since been released. As of Monday morning, he has not been charged or declared at fault in the collision.
Two students, 9-year-old Joselyne Torres and 13-year-old Christopher Bonilla, were on board the bus at the time of the collision. Bonilla was ejected from the bus and declared dead on the scene. Torres was airlifted to a Dallas-area hospital in critical condition but on Saturday was upgraded to stable condition.
The Athens police department stated that the crossing at which the collision took place was marked only by a crossbuck.
Union Pacific spokesperson Kristin South said the tracks were reopened by Saturday morning and did not sustain damage as a result of the crash. The railroad and the school district both offered the Athens Police Department full cooperation during the investigation of the crash.
