Timeline, history of major deadly bus accidents in Texas

Uvalde County crash latest major bus crash in Texas

SAN ANTONIO – The bus crash that claimed the lives of more than a dozen people in Uvalde County is the latest high-profile bus crash in the state. Below is a timeline of notable fatal bus accidents across Texas.

September 2005 -- Hurricane Rita evacuee bus fire: 

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In September 2005, 23 nursing home residents were killed in a fiery bus accident outside Dallas as they attempted to evacuate the Houston area due to Hurricane Rita.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined the probable cause of the accident was the rear axle, which overheated due to insufficient lubrication and caused a fire in the wheel well.

In June 2009, the families of those who died in the fire won an $80 million settlement against the manufacturer of the bus and the company that provided the nursing home with it.  

RELATED: Here's what we know about Wednesday's fatal church bus crash

August 2008 -- Vietnamese pilgrims charter bus crash:

In August 2008, the driver of a charter bus carrying 55 Vietnamese pilgrims crashed north of Dallas, killing 17 and injuring dozens more.

Authorities said a blown tire may have caused the driver to lose control on U.S. Highway 75 near Sherman.

The NTSB reported the bus tire was apparently retreaded and was operating illegally. The victims were Vietnamese Catholics on their way to an annual celebration in Missouri.

April 2013 -- Two killed in North Texas bus crash: 

In April 2013, two people were killed and dozens more were injured when a private charter bus overturned on a busy highway in Irving.

The bus, which was carrying 45 people, was reportedly headed to an Oklahoma casino when the driver lost control and slammed into two concrete barriers before it flipped on its side. 

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September 2014 -- Four Texas college softball players killed in crash:

In September 2014, the driver of a tractor-trailer veered across the median of I-35 in Oklahoma and crashed into the side of a Texas women's college softball team bus, killing four players and injuring a dozen other people.

The crash occurred just north of the Texas border in Davis, OK as the team was returning from a scrimmage. The driver of the tractor-trailer was charged with four counts of first-degree manslaughter. 

January 2015 -- Prison bus crash in West Texas kills 10:

In January 2015, eight inmates and two corrections officers died when a prison bus skidded off an icy highway near Odessa, slid down an embankment and collided with a passing freight train.

Authorities said the overpass on I-20 was slick with ice when the Texas Department of Criminal Justice bus left the roadway.

The NTSB stated the bus crash was caused by the broken guardrail that had been knocked into the lane by a previous accident. 

June 2015 -- Charter bus slams into 18-wheeler, kills 2:

In June 2015, the driver of a bus that originated from Laredo crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler on I-10 in Weimar, Texas, killing two people aboard and injuring nearly a dozen more passengers.

Texas DPS officials said traffic ahead of the bus had come to a stop because of construction on the interstate. The bus driver and a passenger died in the crash.

RELATED: Names of New Braunfels church bus crash victims released

November 2015 -- Bus carrying rock band slams into semi-truck: 

In November 2015, two people were killed outside El Paso when a bus carrying a rock band collided head-on with a semi-truck.

Officials said both drivers died and 10 passengers on the bus were injured. Texas DPS officials said the driver of the bus went across the highway for an unknown reason and struck the semi-truck. 

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December 2015 -- Woman killed in crash with Greyhound bus:

In December 2015, a woman died after the vehicle she was traveling in stalled on I-30 in Arlington and was struck by a Greyhound bus carrying 40 passengers.

Authorities said more than a dozen people on the bus and the other occupant of the vehicle were injured. The vehicle that was struck by the bus stalled on the road after the driver crashed into a concrete barrier. 

May 2016 -- Eight killed, dozens injured in bus crash near Laredo: 

A charter bus crash in May in rural northern Webb County killed eight people and injured more than 40. The accident occurred along a stretch of Highway 83, just south of the Webb-Dimmit county line.

The bus was headed to Eagle Pass from San Juan, Texas when the driver lost control, causing the bus to rollover.

December 2015 -- Three killed in Cibolo crash involving bus, truck: 

Three people died on Christmas Eve in a head-on collision involving a truck and a bus on I-10 in Cibolo. Police identified the victims as Gloria Gonzales, 43, and Matthew Williams, 34, both of Seguin, and John Gonzales, 26, of San Antonio.

The pickup was eastbound on I-10 when it veered into the median and collided with a commercial passenger bus in the westbound lanes. Police said the victims were ejected from the truck and died at the scene. 

March 2017 -- Train slams into Texas-based charter bus, killing 4:

Four people were killed and dozens injured when a freight train struck a Texas-based charter bus carrying senior citizens on a casino outing in Mississippi.

The bus, carrying 49 passengers, was traveling from the Austin area when it was stuck while trying to cross train tracks.

March 2017 -- Uvalde County bus crash kills 13:

A shuttle bus carrying church members home from a retreat collided head-on with a pickup truck, killing 13 people in Uvalde County on Wednesday.

All of the victims who died were senior adults who attended First Baptist Church of New Braunfels, including the driver. An investigation into the crash is underway.


About the Author:

RJ Marquez is the traffic anchor/reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He also fills in as a news anchor and has covered stories from breaking news and Fiesta to Spurs championships and high school sports. RJ started at KSAT in 2010. He is proud to serve our viewers and be a part of the culture and community that makes San Antonio great.