Driver Charged in Deadly Tennessee School Bus Crash That Killed 5 Children

The bus driver who crashed in Tennessee on Monday evening, killing five children and injuring more than 20, reportedly asked the children whether they were “ready to die” moments before the bus landed on its side and wrapped around a tree.

The driver, Johnthony Walker, 24, has been arrested and charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and reckless endangerment. The speed he was driving down the winding road is "being investigated very, very strongly" as a factor in the crash and its severity.

— Josh Elliott (@JoshElliott32) November 22, 2016

A mother who had three children on the bus, one of whom was killed, told CBS News that her surviving children recall the driver asking the disturbing question.

“The mother says that in the moments before the crash, the bus driver said something to the effect of ‘Are you all ready to die?’ and then seconds later, the bus was on its side and five kids were killed,” CBS correspondent Mark Strassmann reported.

Three of the children killed were in the fourth grade, one was in first grade, and another was in kindergarten. Their names have not yet been released. Initial reports from the Associated Press had stated that there were six casualties, and an explanation has not been provided for the discrepancy. Six more students remain in critical condition, six are stable, and 19 were treated and released as of Tuesday morning.

There were 35 Woodmore Elementary School students on the bus when it crashed, ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade. It took emergency workers approximately two hours to remove all the children from the destroyed bus.

Walker remains in custody on $107,500 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 29. Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher told reporters that more charges may be brought against him as the investigation continues.

— Chattanooga Police (@ChattanoogaPD) November 22, 2016

The Illinois-based company that employed Walker, Durham School Services, has declined answering questions about the driver’s history.

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

The school was open on Tuesday, for classes as well as for faculty, students, and families who wished to attend and receive support or counseling.

“Our hearts go out, as well as the hearts of all these people behind me, to the families, the neighborhood, the school, for all the people involved in this, we assure you we are doing everything we can,” Fletcher said.