Coca-Cola Truck / Bus Crash - Alton TX
Posted by: 
PeterNoG
N 26° 17.104 W 098° 17.874
14R E 570095 N 2907444
This News Article Location is at the corner of East Main Avenue (FM 676) and Bryan Road in Alton, Texas.
Waymark Code: WMKKN5
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/27/2014
Views: 1
At 7:45 in the morning of September 21, 1989, a school bus with 80 students on board was heading from Alton, Texas to their school in Mission which is only 5 miles south of Alton. A Dr.Pepper semi-trailer truck and trailer, owned by Coca-Cola, went through a stop sign at an estimated 25 mph and hit the left side of the school bus. The impact pushed the school bus off the road and it tumbled into a gravel pit that had about 12 feet of water in it. Nineteen students between 12 and 18 years old died at the crash making this the worst bus accident in Texas history. One (or two) died later from their injuries. The truck driver said his brakes failed although a spokesman for Coca-Cola said the truck had passed Texas state inspection last month.
List of twenty casualties provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety:
Ruby Lopez, 12.
Elda Patricia Cruz, 12.
Alberto Vasquez, 12.
David Saenz, 12.
Robert Bazaldua, 13.
Aplonia Regalado, 13.
Veronica Perez, 13.
Marta Amelia Lozano, 13.
Michael Saenz, 14.
Armando Gonzalez, 14.
Maria Regalado, 14.
Roman Quintero, 14.
Maria Elida Alfaro, 14.
Abdon Garcia, 14.
Jose L. Ortega, 15.
Yesenia Perez, 15.
Ana Delia Rodriguez, 16.
Carmen Canales, 16.
Margarita Buentello, 16.
Raul Flores, Jr., 18.
A memorial shrine to the victims of the crash was erected on the northwest corner of the streets. In the center is a statue of Jesus seen standing, with hands outstretched, in a niche atop a granite base inscribed with names of victims. Individual wooden crosses bearing names and life dates of each victim hang on a chain link fence directly behind the figure of Jesus. There are also small grotto shrines erected by family members to individual victims.
Type of publication: Newspaper
When was the article reported?: 09/22/1989
Publication: AP Wire Story picked up by
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: national
News Category: Society/People
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