Tragedy: Five School Kids Killed in Chattanooga Bus Accident; Driver Arrested

Chattanooga Fire Department
Scene of a deadly school bus accident in Chattanooga, TN, Nov 21, 2016 (Chattanooga Fire Department)

*A school bus filled with children slammed into a tree, flipped over and split apart Monday afternoon on a street in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

At least five children were killed in the crash, school officials said, and six others are hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

“Five is a cursed number in our city right now. … We are … dealing with an unimaginable loss,” Mayor Andy Berke said. “The most unnatural thing in the world is for a parent to mourn the loss of a child.”

The bus driver, Johnthony Walker, 24, has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving. He could face more charges as the case proceeds to a Hamilton County grand jury, Chattanooga police Chief Fred Fletcher said.

Bus driver Johnthony Walker (Hamilton County Sheriff's Office)
Bus driver Johnthony Walker (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office)

Walker has been cooperative and talking to investigators, according to police.

Of the five confirmed dead, three were fourth-graders at Woodmore Elementary School, one was a first-grader and one was a kindergartner, according to Kirk Kelly, interim superintendent for Hamilton County Schools. Six students remain hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and six are in regular rooms at the hospital, Kelly said.

“There are still some unanswered questions at this time, but our priority remains with our students,” Kelly said Tuesday morning, adding that counselors would be at the school for anyone who needs to talk.

“There are no words that you can say,” Kelly said Tuesday morning. “This is something that you’ll never get over … but we’re just doing what we can and reaching out and offering words of comfort and support to the families.”

The bus was traveling at high speed just before the crash, one of the children who was onboard told CNN affiliate WDEF-TV.

“He was going real fast and he hit a garbage bag,” the boy said. “And we then hit a mailbox, then we flipped over and hit a tree real hard.”

A woman who lives near the crash told WDEF the impact was so powerful it knocked her power out. “I just heard a big boom,” the woman said.

 

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

Eric Adams - via Grok AI
End DEI - via Grok AI
Tori Martin - screenshot
Anthony Michael Hobbs
Gugu Mbatha-Raw via Apple TV+
Connie Boss Alexander - screenshot
A$AP Rocky during trial - screenshot
Drake (Getty)
Tamika Mallory - Getty
D'Angelo - Getty
Cherelle Parker - screenshot
Read More
Kanye West and Bianca Censori on Grammy Red Carpet - screenshot
Read More
Beyond the Gates
Read More
Damon Wayans
Read More
Denzel Washington - Gladiator II
Read More
Learjet after crashing - via Grok AI
Read More
Sunny Hostin
Read More
Amtrak
Read More
Will Smith (AI character from 'I Am Legend 2'
Read More
Bevelyn Beatty Williams
Read More

POPULAR

Zero Day/Robert De Niro
Netflix Drops Official ‘Zero Day’ Trailer Starring Robert De Niro and Angela Bassett
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
Crunch Slap Supreme: Taco Bell Security Guard Caught Brutally Slapping Black Woman in Viral Video | WATCH
Beyond the Gates
CBS to Air Special on New Daytime Soap Opera 'Beyond The Gates'
Kendrick Lamar (Getty Images - CNN Newsource)
Who is Worthy to Follow Up Kendrick Lamar At 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Denzel Washington - via Grok AI
Wait. Whaat?! Denzel Washington Forced to 'Slow Down' After Nearly Biting His Tongue Off
Raising Kanan Fourth Season
New Trailer for 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Hints at Intense Season 4 | Watch
Jalen Hurts - Getty
Jalen Hurts' Mother Confronts Fox Sports Analyst Nick Wright over Criticism
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
LA African American Leaders Call for Justice Following Slap Attack on Black Woman at Taco Bell Cantina - Presser Called for 5pm Today!
Irv Gotti - Getty
Irv Gotti's Family Expects a Packed Church for His Funeral at Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral