The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Monday launched an incident investigation into the fatal Bastrop County bus crash that killed two people last month, according to a report from the Austin American-Statesman.
According to the Statesman, the investigation's purpose is to understand safety features of vehicles involved in crashes and determine potential safety improvements. The safety board also hopes to better understand the events that lead up to these crashes.
In Bastop County on March 22, a 5-year-old boy in a school bus and one adult traveling in a separate vehicle behind the bus were killed in the crash when a cement truck veered into the opposite lane and caused the bus to roll over. Many more people were injured and hospitalized.
The school bus was carrying 44 Tom Green Elementary pre-K students and 11 adults returning from a field trip to the Bastrop County Zoo.
It has since been reported that the driver of the cement truck admitted to using drugs the night before and morning of the crash and did not get adequate sleep the night before. He also has an extensive criminal record.
According to the NTSB, school buses are one of the safest modes of transportation. The safety board recommends school buses be equipped with seat belts to increase the safety of passengers.
The Hays ISD school bus involved in the March 22 crash did not have seat belts.
The results of the investigation could be used in pending investigations into crashes in Illinois and West Virginia last month, which also involved school buses.
The incident investigation is different from a full investigation because the board won’t send investigators to the crash or issue a report of recommendation.