Johnthony Walker has been arrested in connection with a deadly school bus accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee that left 6 children dead.
Walker was charged with multiple counts of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.
The bus was carrying 35 kindergarten through fifth-grade students from Woodmore Elementary School when it crashed just before 3:30 p.m. EST.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher said speed was a possible factor in the deadly accident.
Chattanooga Fire Department officials tweeted a photo of the school bus on its side and sheared nearly in half by a tree.
Emergency personnel worked for “many hours” to extricate the injured through the back door and shattered windows of the wreckage.
Police kept the media a block away behind yellow tape that was strung up for several blocks around the tragic scene.
At the hospital, the media was ordered off the property as grieving parents and family members arrived at the emergency room. Hospital staff covered the emergency room doors with blue tarp.
Hundreds of residents offered to give blood to treat the injured.
“We have had people who were refusing to leave until they give blood,” said Mindy Quinn of Blood Assurance.
All the parents of the deceased and injured children had been notified by Monday night.
“Taking care of the children that are injured is our No. 1 priority. Taking care of the families who are looking for, caring for and grieving for children is our second priority,” Police Chief Fletcher said.
He added: “Our thoughts, our prayers and all of our efforts are with the families of these children and others impacted by this tragedy.”
