Truck driver found guilty on lesser charges in bus crash that killed 6 on school trip
NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — A truck driver who triggered a chain-reaction crash with a bus that killed three Ohio high school band students and three adults was convicted of vehicular homicide Friday but cleared on more serious charges.
The three students killed in the 2023 crash were on a charter bus, and a teacher and two chaperones in another vehicle hit by the tractor trailer also died.
Licking County Judge David Branstool found Jacob McDonald, of Zanesville, guilty on six misdemeanor counts of vehicular homicide, but ruled that he was not guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide, a felony.
The judge said McDonald's actions in causing the crash were negligent but not reckless. McDonald could have faced three decades in prison if he had been convicted on all of the more serious charges, but instead he now faces a maximum sentence of 18 months, according to his attorney.
Some family members of the victims left the court before the judge finished announcing the verdict.
Prosecutors said McDonald was speeding and failed to brake for slowing traffic on Interstate 70 because he was looking at his phone.
His defense attorney, Chris Brigdon, disputed that, saying that the cellular data cited by investigators did not clearly show what was happening before the crash. Brigdon said after the verdict was announced that McDonald was still devastated by the crash because he knows he caused it.
According to investigators, McDonald's truck hit an SUV and pushed it into the bus, which was carrying students from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio. Some of the vehicles caught fire.
Five vehicles were involved in the crash in Licking County, east of Columbus. The bus was carrying the students to an Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
11 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Immigration authorities carry out enforcement activity across Los Angeles amid crowds of protesters
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal immigration authorities carried out enforcement activities at several locations in Los Angeles on Friday, with some clashes breaking out as crowds gathered outside a warehouse and other locations across the city to protest the activity. Federal law enforcement officials were present at a Home Depot, an apartment complex, federal courts and in the fashion district, said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to discuss the details of its operations. The agency said it routinely makes arrests of noncitizens 'who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws.' Cabrera said people calling a rapid response hotline reported dozens of arrests. KABC-TV reported crowds tried to hinder officers from leaving one location after their operation was over. Aerial footage broadcast by the station showed officers throwing smoke bombs or flash bangs on the street to disperse the people so they could drive away in SUVs, vans and military-style vehicles. The station showed one person running backward with their hands on the hood of a moving white SUV in an apparent attempt to block the vehicle. The person fell backward, landing flat on the ground. The SUV backed up, drove around the individual and sped off as others on the street threw objects at it. Other video showed people being handcuffed by federal authorities in a Home Depot parking lot. Mayor Karen Bass said the activity was meant to 'sow terror.' 'As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,' Bass said. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a written statement that his department was aware of the enforcement activities. 'I'm aware that these actions cause anxiety for many Angelenos, so I want to make it clear: the LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement,' he said in a statement.
Washington Post
14 minutes ago
- Washington Post
5 Proud Boys sue US government over Jan. 6 prosecutions
ORLANDO, Fla. — Five members of the Proud Boys, a far-right militant group, claim their constitutional rights were violated when they were prosecuted for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a lawsuit filed Friday. The lawsuit was filed in Orlando federal court by former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean and Dominic Pezzola. It seeks unspecified compensatory damages plus 6% interest and $100 million plus interest in punitive damages.
CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
Suspected surveillance device found buried in Queens lawn puts neighbors on high alert
A Queens neighborhood is on guard after a device believed to be recording the block was discovered buried in a resident's lawn. The device looks like an Android phone covered in black tape with only its camera exposed. It's believed to have been used by potential burglars waiting to strike. It's a trend that's been taking place across the country. A Queens neighborhood is on guard after a device believed to be recording the block was discovered buried in a resident's lawn. The device looks like an Android phone covered in black tape with only its camera exposed. Photo provided Similar incidents reported across Tri-State Area, U.S. Forest Hills resident Mary Kehoe said she found the device outside her home of 35 years in late May. She called police, who took the device and say it was a phone connected to a charger buried in her lawn. "Why us? I had lots of things going through my head as to why they chose our lawn but realized we are in the middle of the block," Kehoe said. Incidents like this have been seen before in California, Massachusetts and even locally in New Jersey and Scarsdale. Police say devices illegally surveilling neighborhoods are hidden in lawns and used to track down neighbors' patterns while suspects wait for the chance to burglarize their homes. "Put your alarms on, put lights on, and be aware. And we're a nice little block here that we look out for one another, so when people do go away, they let us know so we can take a walk down their driveway and make sure everything is safe," Kehoe said. "We are now watching" Kehoe and her neighbors also urge homeowners to keep an eye out for any unfamiliar devices on their property. They also have some choice words for those who may want to do this again: If you're watching this neighborhood, it's watching you, too. "Don't come back to our neighborhood or any neighborhood because we are now watching, and all the other neighborhoods are aware of what is going on," neighbor Helen McGovern said. The NYPD says the investigation is ongoing and that no arrests have been made at this time. They encourage anyone who believes they're in a similar situation to contact their local precinct or call 911.
