Bus driver asked kids if they were ‘ready to die’ before fatal crash

The driver of the bus that crashed and killed five schoolchildren reportedly asked the kids, "Are you ready to die?" as they careened down the streets.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

On Monday, five schoolchildren were killed when their bus crashed into a tree in Tennessee, and the driver reportedly asked the kids, “Are you ready to die?” before the crash as they were careening down the streets.

According to one mother who had three children on the bus, one of whom was killed, the driver, Johnthony Walker, asked this of the 35 elementary school-aged kids just seconds before the fatal crash. The mother added that she had complained to school officials about Walker before but had received no response, though Melydia Clewell, a spokeswoman for the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, said that there was no record of complaints.

Walker has since been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.

The company that runs the school district’s buses has since released a statement on the tragedy:

“We are working with the Chattanooga Police Department and Hamilton County School District to investigate,” said David Duke, head of Durham School Services. “We also have additional team members arriving in Chattanooga today to provide support.”

“There are no words to comfort the broken heart of a mother or father,” Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said in a statement. “I pray for families affected by [this] tragedy.”

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