Friends, Family Pay Respects To 12-Year-Old Student Killed In School Bus Crash
MESQUITE (CBSDFW.COM) - Mesquite ISD students are trying to pay their respects in every way possible to the Jasmine Alfaro Villareal, the 12-year-old victim in Wednesday's bus crash. Friday they're planning a moment of silence at the district's two home games. Thursday night, they returned to the crash site.
"We brought flowers and we brought a plant," Charley Charles said. "It's a plant for hope. My son and his cousin were on the bus."
"We had hit a bump and then we started swerving and we fell into the ditch," 6th grader Charley Charles Jr. said.
"It was really scary because as soon as we got out we could smell smoke as it about to catch on fire," 6th grader Robert Raz said.
Villareal was the only child rescuers could not reach before the fire spread Wednesday. Her sister escaped. Today, their family stopped by the accident site, and left roses.
"She's our little angel," Jesus Martinez, Villareal's uncle, said. "Hearing her plans growing up, her wanting to go to UT. None of that is going to happen now."
A newly-released accident report states four witnesses saw John Johnson, a seven year Mesquite ISD transportation team veteran, steering the bus in one direction, then another before skidding off the road into a utility pole and catching fire. He and three other students were taken to the hospital.
Police said their injuries are not life threatening.
"I guess when it comes to things like that there's nothing you can do about it," Raz said. "Accidents happen."
It's unclear if a drug and alcohol test was done on Johnson. Mesquite ISD parents are calling
for widened roads and guard rails set up where the crash happened.
