On Friday, December 17, 2021, about 12:10 p.m., a 2018 IC 43-passenger, lap belt-equipped school bus, operated by Hempstead Independent School District (ISD), was traveling south on Farm to Market Road (FM) 1887 in the unincorporated community of Monaville, Waller County, Texas. The posted speed limit was 55 mph, the weather was clear, and the roadway was dry. After crossing over a bridge near the intersection of Holik Road and FM 1887, the bus departed the southbound lane to the right. The driver initiated a series of steering maneuvers to the left, back to the right, and again to the left, and then lost control of the bus. The bus departed the road and rolled over in one complete rotation. The bus was occupied by a 59-year-old driver, a 59-year-old aide, and four student passengers. As a result of the crash, the aide was ejected and fatally injured. The driver and three student passengers sustained minor injuries. One student passenger, who was restrained in a child safety seat, was uninjured.
We determined that the probable cause of the Monaville, Texas, crash was the bus driver's failure to keep the vehicle in its travel lane due to being distracted by the vehicle's vent window. Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the lack of seat belt use by several school bus passengers.
