Texas school bus crash: Truck driver was not allowed to drive at time of crash
BASTROP COUNTY, Texas - The concrete truck driver involved in a deadly school bus crash was not allowed to drive a commercial vehicle at the time of the incident in Bastrop County, according to the federal government.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Jerry Hernandez was declared an "imminent hazard to public safety." It ordered Hernandez to stop driving any commercial vehicle for in-state or interstate commerce.
MORE STORIES ON SCHOOL BUS CRASH:
- Truck driver charged with negligent homicide
- Truck driver admits to taking drugs morning of crash, DPS says
- Hays CISD releases dash cam video
- Hays CISD superintendent speaks on deadly crash
- Hays CISD identifies preschooler killed
DPS said Hernandez admitted to officers he had used cocaine the morning of the crash, which killed a 5-year-old student on a field trip, and a 33-year-old in a separate vehicle.
The federal government said Hernandez had already been prohibited from operating any commercial vehicle for drug use three times before. He was disqualified from driving commercial because of a drug test a year ago that found cocaine use.
The federal government is now working with the state of Texas to disqualify his commercial driver's license.
A copy of the Imminent Hazard Order issued to Jerry Hernandez is available here.