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Satanica

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Originally, the story was posted at the new place from a different news link.

The investigation continues into Friday's deadly crash involving a train and school bus in Athens, Texas.

More has come to light about the school bus driver, John Stevens, who police say drove over train tracks right into the path of an oncoming train.
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Students at Athens Middle School returned to class Monday morning wearing maroon to honor classmate Christopher Bonilla.

Students also placed flowers at a memorial inside the school building in memory of Bonilla. The 13-year-old was killed in Friday's crash.
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The school bus driver, identified by police as Stevens, arrived at his home on Monday with visible injuries to his face and arm.

The 78-year-old spoke briefly with NBC 5 and said he wished "40 million times over it wouldn't have happened, but it did," adding "it was an accident."

Regina Fuller is Steven's longtime neighbor.

"He gets up, goes to work and he's really been shook up since Friday," she said.

Fuller said she has driven over the exact crossing where the accident happened.

"There's no light or nothing, nothing for the train to go down, so cars be going through there," she said.

Athens police said Stevens came to a stop, then continued to cross the tracks directly in front of a Union Pacific train.

Although there are not automated arms or warning lights in place, a witness told police they heard the train's horns as it got closer to the crossing.

Athens Independent School District's spokeswoman told NBC 5 that Stevens was hired last August and had driven buses at two other school districts in the state for 11 years.

"[He] came to us with a clean driving record, passed every single test, has every bit certification that a bus driver is supposed to have. That includes a medical examination. He got it, he passed it," Athens ISD spokesperson Toni Clay said.

However, Clay would not say whether bus drivers undergo additional training on a district level.

"From the time he was hired until the tragedy on Friday, there was no incident involving that driver," she said.

Athens police are leading the investigation. Union Pacific is also investigating the crash.

Police were looking at the crash report Monday afternoon trying to determine what led to the crash. Police would not say whether the school bus driver will face any criminal charges.
 
ATHENS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – The man behind the wheel of an Athens ISD school bus when it crashed in January killing a middle school student on board, was arrested and indicted for criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child.

John Stevens, 78, of Mabank, was arrested Monday and released on $10,000 bond.
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Christopher Bonilla, 13, was ejected from the bus and pronounced dead at the scene.
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78 and driving a bus? Jesus that scares the fuck out of me. Isn't it federal law that buses have to stop at railroad crossings? I know they do here, even when they are empty.
Athens police said Stevens came to a stop, then continued to cross the tracks directly in front of a Union Pacific train.

Maybe his peripheral vision isn’t good?
 
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More than 4,000 people have signed a petition urging authorities to drop charges against the man who was at the wheel of an Athens Independent School District bus when it was struck by a freight train in late January, resulting in the death of a 13-year-old boy.

The petition is addressed to the office of the Henderson County District Attorney, Athens Mayor Monte Montgomery and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

The bus driver, John Franklin Stevens, pleaded not guilty to charges of injury to a child and manslaughter at his arraignment July 3, court records show.
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The wording on the petition says the tracks have a "curve that is impossible to see around, there are no signals, we have feared this crossing, many avoid it."

"The loss of the young boys [sic] life was tragic, many of us shed tears for him, for his family," the petition goes on to say. "However every report shows that the driver followed the law."

The Henderson County District Attorney's Office issued the following statement about the petition.

“While I understand and appreciate the compassion and concern of so many in support of Mr. Stevens, our system of justice cannot operate on anything other than the fair and equal treatment of all who come before it. It must not be driven by popular opinion or simply because a particular person has come within it's reach.
The time-tested and venerated adage that 'Justice is Blind' means that those whose duty it is to uphold the law cannot be a 'respecter of persons.' While facts, circumstances and the elements of a particular offense drive the prosecution of all criminal cases, our legal system also takes into account the background and mitigating factors of the individual charged. This case will be treated the same, and proceed like any other.”
The change.org petition had 4,049 signatures as of 7:45 p.m. Wednesday.

 
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