Teenager faces long road to recovery after SUV hits school bus, flipping it on its side
The Brief
On April 1, April Fool's Day, an SUV crashed into the side of a bus, causing it to roll on its side on Interstate 10.
The bus was filled with students from Lee Williams High School, one of them Katie Holmes.
Holmes, who has gone through several surgeries since, remembers calling her mom, who initially thought it was a joke.
MARANA, Ariz. - On April 1, the driver of an SUV crashed into the side of a bus full of students from Kingman, causing the bus to roll onto its side along Interstate 10.
Katie Holmes, 17, was headed to a school conference when her life was literally flipped upside down.
She remembers calling her mom to let her know what had happened. A conversation hard for any parent to hear.
Why you should care
"My response was, it's April Fools Day. This isn't funny," said mom Julie Holmes. "You know, I'm teaching my class and she said, 'no, mom. We rolled the bus. I'm really hurt' and it was… it was heartbreaking. Everything just stopped."
Katie was one of several Lee Williams High School students rushed to the hospital.
"At that point, it's the hardest, hardest thing ever to think the worst. When someone tells you, you need to pull over," said Julie.
Doctors told her Katie's injuries were more extreme than expected and they needed to operate on her.
"She had four surgeries," said Julie.
Katie said getting out of surgery, knowing people were there for her made all the difference.
"I had the first one and I didn't get out for about 5 hours, I think. So when I actually got out, most of the people were actually waiting for me, which was honestly so nice. I don't know what I would have done if I were alone," said Katie.
What we know
Katie remembers the moments surrounding the crash.
"Once we started going back the other way, I started to realize that there was an issue and once I started to see the bus tilt, I looked up and I noticed things were starting to turn sideways. And I was like, okay, we're doing this," Katie said.
"When I opened my eyes there was plenty of dust. So much I held my breath until I got out of the bus."
She's spent every day since in the hospital with family, friends and stuffed animals by her side.
"It's going to be a long, long period of time before this settles and I think it's going to keep going until Mr. Rodriguez is convicted," said her mom Julie.
What's next
The driver of the SUV - Nicolas Rodriguez - tested positive for marijuana and, according to court documents, admitted to smoking marijuana two days before.
He's accused of three felony counts of aggravated assault and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
What you can do
A GoFundMe page was created to help support Katie's recovery.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Archer and Wichita County residents take matters into own hands to have road repaired
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Residents in Wichita and Archer County are taking matters into their own hands after they say a severely damaged road has continued to cause issues for drivers using the road with no repairs in sight. For three years now, Archer and Wichita County residents, including Emily Spoelstra, have been battling a major roadway problem. 'This slew of potholes that have become more and more dangerous as time goes on. We moved in two years ago, but for at least the last three years, we've been talking to archer county commissioner Todd herring. Everyone that we can think of to try to get these repaired, but we're really stuck in the middle,' Spoelstra said. From receiving two different responses from government officials… 'Between what archer county lists our road as, as a private road and what the Texas department of transportation listed as as a public road,' Spoelstra said. And Spoelstra said even more damage will occur if this problem isn't resolved. 'Over the winter, we've had one car accident that happened when these were all filled with rain and it was difficult to see at night where one car went off the road and nearly hit this power line in that, trash bin of my neighbors, which was really scary for the whole neighborhood. I've had damage to my personal vehicle hitting one of these when there's been another road or another car on the road, and to avoid it,' Spoelstra said. And until they can get some answers, Spoelstra said the residents in the neighborhood are taking things into their own hands by creating a GoFundMe to raise funds for repairs. 'Then realized that that could make, that could be a legal quagmire for our neighborhood. So then we paused. We're still accepting donations for it, because our next recourse might be to hire an attorney to find what we need to do next,' Spoelstra said. As of now, they have raised $1,300 of their $1,500 goal. Click here to make a donation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
More than £3k raised after crash left rider ‘feeling very lucky to be walking away'
MORE than £3,000 has been raised to repair machinery after a nasty crash left Oxford Cheetahs rider Cameron Heeps 'feeling very lucky to be walking away'. In Heat 12 of the Championship opener at home against Scunthorpe Scorpions, Zaine Kennedy cut across Heeps on the third bend, and in the following collision, Heeps hit the air fence at high speed. He was treated by medics and miraculously came away from the incident with no broken bones, but he was unable to continue due to lots of bruising and soft tissue damage, and he will take some time to recover before making his Cheetahs return. READ ALSO: Former U's loanee in star-studded squad for Under-21 Euros His bike was considerably damaged, with Oxford Speedway Supporters Club chairman Gavin Beckley creating a GoFundMe to help replace equipment. Alongside a track collection, more than £3,000 has been raised following a £2,000 target. Heeps said: 'I can't thank the supporters enough. It's blown me away the support that I have at Oxford and the amount of money that the fans have raised for me. I'm a bit speechless, because I can't say thank you enough. 'I'm so grateful because I don't have to stress about how I'm going to pay to repair the bike. I think the engine, the carby [carburettor], clutch and the seat are all we could save. A good 80 per cent of the bike has gone into the bin, but we can now put it back to how it was. 'The air fence and fence behind it both did their job. The fence behind was strong enough not to completely break, but weak enough to have plenty of give. It was the perfect mix. 'They did a great job when they rebuilt the track when speedway came back, they knew what they were doing and it was spot on. 'My brain wants to get back racing, but my body is telling me to hold on a bit. I took a pretty big hit, and I'll come back when I'm feeling comfortable. 'I don't think I could ever pay the fans back, they've gone above and beyond. But once I'm back, I'll put on a show and hopefully myself and the rest of the boys and can bring back some silverware for them.' To donate, please visit:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Loved Ones Mourn at Crash Site Where 'Beautiful' High School Senior Was Killed on Prom Night
Mourners gathered on Monday, May 19, to honor a Massachusetts high school student who died in a car crash on prom night 18-year-old Ava Lodico died just three weeks ahead of her high school graduation She was the only person in the car when the accident happenedMourners are gathering to remember a Massachusetts high school student who died in a car crash on her prom night. On Monday, May 19, a group came to pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for Ava Lodico, near the site where she had a fatal accident on the night of Saturday, May 17. A group of young people gathered around a tree ringed with bouquets of flowers and covered in photos of the 18-year-old girl. Next to it, a cross bearing Lodico's name had been erected, according to a photo shared by the Cape Cod Times. "I'm just amazed at how many friends she had. I knew she had a lot of friends, but not to this extent," Lodico's mother, Brandi Santos, told ABC affiliate WCVB. "Just seeing the love, I didn't know my daughter had this much of an impact on these kids. I'm just at a loss for words." Elizabeth McLain, one of the teachers in Lodico's English class, brought a flower and said she saw her in her prom dress before she died, the paper reported. "She looked beautiful," she said. A source previously told PEOPLE the crash occurred later that night. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Falmouth High School senior was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Acapesket Road, according to the Falmouth Police Department, Falmouth Fire and Rescue Department and Falmouth Public Schools. Students and staff were offered counseling services when they returned to school on Monday. Authorities responded to the accident around 11 p.m. local time, and Lodico was the only person in the vehicle, according to the Cape Cod Times. Video from the scene of the crash shared by NBC affiliate WBTS showed extensive damage to the front of the vehicle. Lodico died just three weeks before she was set to graduate from Falmouth High School on June 7. A GoFundMe to support Lodico's family has already raised more than $23,000 as of the afternoon of Wednesday, May 21. "She was a very loved friend, older sister, cousin, and daughter to many," the organizer wrote. Read the original article on People
