Deadly Granbury school bus accident renews calls for change, more safety measures
Thursday night, the Granbury community will gather to celebrate the life of Exodus Crockett, the five-year-old boy who was hit and killed by a school bus on Monday.
The candlelight vigil is set for 7:30 p.m. at Hewlett Park.
Exodus was a student at Emma Roberson Elementary School who loved Spiderman.
Investigators say the bus was pulling away from doing a pick-up when the little boy ran up to the driver's side and then in front of the bus.
News of the Exodus' death hit Tori and Sean Sayre hard.
"I was so angry that this was able to happen again," said Tori Sayre. "How many children is it going to take before maybe people care or somebody wants to do something about it? What's the number of kids that have to pass away?"
The Sayres' daughter, six-year-old Emory, was hit and killed by a Brock ISD school bus three years ago. She was crossing in front of the bus to get home after a day at kindergarten when she was run over.
"And when this little boy lost his life almost in the same manner… I wish so badly that I could just wrap my arms around [his family] and take what they're going through and just stick it on with mine," Tori Sayre said. "But the only thing that we can do for him moving forward is to leave a legacy behind that saves other children from this ever happening."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the most dangerous part of a school bus ride is getting on and off the bus because a child may be walking in the driver's blind spots, where they can't be seen.
According to NHTSA, 218 school-age children died in school bus-related crashes from 2011 to 2020. Nearly 40% were kids who were walking.
"It doesn't have to be this way," said Tori.
The Sayres want safety features like sensors, cameras and front crossing arms to be standard on all school buses in Texas. At least 20 other states require school buses to have front crossing arms.
"There's lots of things in Texas law that could be changed and should be changed for student safety," said Sean Sayre. "Proper training for the drivers and proper training for the kids, I think is a huge step in the right direction."
The couple, who are represented by attorney Nick Rodriguez, has filed a lawsuit against Brock ISD, the school bus manufacturer Blue Bird, and the company that sold the bus to the district.
The Sayres said they can't change what happened to their daughter or to Exodus, but they'll keep fighting to help prevent another tragedy.
"For Exodus, for Emory so that they leave something behind that helps other kids," Tori said.
There is a viewing for Exodus at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 21 at StoneWater Church. The funeral will then follow at 11 a.m.
