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Former Athens ISD bus driver makes court appearance in connection with fatal crash, judge sets pre-trial hearing for February 2020

John Stevens, 78, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child in connection with the January 2019 fatal crash.
Credit: CBS19 Staff

ATHENS, Texas — A discovery compliance hearing took place on Wednesday regarding the case of a fatal bus crash involving a former Athens Independent School District bus driver.

According to CBS19 crews in the courtroom, John Stevens, 78, made a short appearance in court. 

Prosecutors told the Judge R. Scott McKee they had turned all evidence and documents over, and another pre-trial hearing was scheduled for February 5 at 1 p.m.

Stevens has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child in connection with the January 2019 fatal crash. He has pleaded "not guilty" to both counts.

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The wreck occurred on Friday, January 25, around 4 p.m. on Cream Level Road.

According to an investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration, the Union Pacific crew reported the bus did stop at the railroad crossing. However, Stevens continued across the tracks and and the school bus was struck by the locomotive. A previous report by Union Pacific said the train's horn blasted moments before impact.

Christopher Bonilla, 13, died as a result of the crash. Joselyne Torres, 9, was seriously injured, but has since recovered.

The FRA concluded Stevens' "inattentiveness" caused the collision. The train was traveling at about 40 miles per hour, carrying 54 cars weighing nearly 5,000 tons when it t-boned the bus.

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