Man who killed 13 in church bus crash was allegedly texting on his phone
According to a witness to a crash, the man who killed 13 people when he crashed into a church bus was texting at the time.
According to the Associated Press, Jody Kuchler was driving behind the white pickup truck on Wednesday and noticed that it was swerving wildly before it ultimately crashed into the bus.
Kuchler said that he was able to speak with the driver after following him and witnessing the crash, recalling, “He said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was texting.’ I said, “Son, do you know what you just did? He said, ‘I’m sorry I’m sorry.’”
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Prior to the incident, Kuchler had placed 911 calls about Jack Dillon Young’s driving, and Kuchler can be heard in those calls to say, “Somebody needs to get this guy off the road before he hits somebody.”
The church bus was carrying members of the First Baptist Church of New Braunfals, Texas, who were returning from a three-day retreat. Twelve passengers in the bus died at the scene, and another died at San Antonio Hospital. Young is still hospitalized after the crash as well.
The church has since put out a statement saying, “On behalf of our entire church family at the First Baptist Church of New Braunfels, we are so grateful for the compassionate outpouring of support and prayers we have received since the tragic bus crash in which we lost 13 of our beloved church members.”
