Report: Truck driver may have used drugs
The driver of the concrete pump truck that struck a school bus last week, killing two people in Bastrop County, admitted to consuming marijuana and cocaine overnight before the crash, according to a document obtained by Austin television station KEYE.
KEYE identified the truck driver as Jerry Hernandez.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to the San Antonio Express-news “that a warrant was issued for a specimen of Jerry Hernandez’s blood” after he was involved in the fatal crash but did not provide any additional information on his involvement.
After the crash, Hernandez was taken to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center for medical treatment, where he spoke with law enforcement, the station reported.
The search warrant said Hernandez told an officer “that he smoked marijuana at approximately 10 p.m. the night before the crash” and slept for about three hours before getting up for work around 12:30 a.m.
“Mr. Hernandez admitted to consuming cocaine about 1 a.m. on the morning of the crash,” the warrant said. He refused to provide
a voluntary blood sample for analysis, so a search warrant was issued to collect blood.
Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety said
Thursday that the crash remains under investigation and no charges had been filed.
The concrete pump truck hit a Hays Consolidated Independent School District bus carrying 44 preschoolers and 11 adults just before 2 p.m. Friday on Texas 21 in Bastrop County.
Dashcam video released by the district Thursday shows the truck veer out of its lane and over the centerline about three seconds before striking the bus.
Two people were killed: Tom Green Elementary student Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, 5, and Ryan Wallace, 33, a University of Texas at Austin graduate student who was driving behind the bus.