Semi-truck driver charged in deadly 2021 Interstate 79 school bus crash in Butler County
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — More than one year after a deadly crash involving a semi-truck and a school bus in Butler County, the truck driver has been charged.
Karandeep Singh is facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle and reckless driving.
A 14-year-old girl, Brylee Walker, and Lindsay Thompkins, the 31-year-old bus driver, died in the November 2021 crash on Interstate 79 near Route 422 in Muddy Creek Township.
According to investigators, Singh was driving his vehicle with a loaded flatbed trailer at 18 miles per hour in the right northbound lane of the interstate. Police say the bus driver, Lindsay Thompkins, was driving approximately 67 miles per hour when he rear-ended the trailer. The posted speed limit is 70 miles per hour.
According to the charging documents, an inspection was done on Singh's vehicle and found several "violations that were present on the truck tractor at the time of the crash that would have resulted in an out of service order for the truck." Police said a mechanical problem limited the truck's power, keeping it from reaching highways speeds.
The bus was carrying 13 students from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, Beaver County. The school board president said they were going home.
Singh, who was not hurt in the crash, is not in custody, the DA said.