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One year later: Criminal, civil suits pending in fatal crash


Kimberly Rubio

Assistant editor

One year ago today, 12 families received news that their loved ones were killed in a Concan-area crash as the group of First Baptist Church of New Braunfels members headed home from a three-day retreat at Alto Frio Baptist Encampment near Leakey. While two church members were airlifted to San Antonio, one later died to bring the tally to 13 victims.

The fatal crash occurred on U.S. Highway 83 North, 1.7 miles south of Farm-to-Market Road 1050 in Uvalde County.

Since then, Ross Allen, the son of Howard Bryan Allen, one of the 13 senior members killed in the fatal wreck, has filed a wrongful death civil suit against Jack D. Young, the driver of the 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck that collided head-on with the church bus, and Young’s father, the owner of the truck.

In addition, the Uvalde County Grand Jury issued 14 two-count indictments on Young, who is now 21 years old. Charges include 13 counts of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle and 13 counts of manslaughter, as well as one count of intoxicated assault with a vehicle and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Young, who was hospitalized after the crash, turned himself in to authorities on June 28 after the indictments were issued. On Aug. 24, he pleaded not guilty to the charges listed in the indictments, and the following month he was released from Uvalde County Jail after posting a $310,000 bond.

Manslaughter and intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle are second degree felonies, punishable by between two and 20 years in prison. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is also a second degree felony.

Intoxicated assault with a vehicle is a third degree felony, which is punishable by between two and 10 years in prison.

If convicted on all charges, Young faces up to 530 years in prison.

Although the civil lawsuit against Young has remained at a standstill, a pre-trial hearing for criminal charges is set May 31. During the hearing, witnesses representing several public schools and Southwest Texas Junior College are expected to provide testimony regarding Young’s attendance and academic performance at their respective institutes.

Young is being represented by Rogelio F. Muñoz of The Muñoz Law Firm of Uvalde.

In July of 2017, 38th Judicial District Attorney Daniel Kindred said he expected the judicial process to take between 12-18 months.

NTSB report

A preliminary report given by the National Transportation Safety Board indicates that all occupants of the church bus were wearing available restraints. The driver and front seat passenger were restrained with a lap/shoulder belt and a supplemental air bag system. The rear seated bus passengers were restrained with lap-only belts.

No mechanical defects were identified in the initial inspection or either vehicle. No vehicle-based devices capable of recording and transmitting event-related data has been successfully downloaded.

Toxicology samples, as well as cell phone records and data, have been collected from both drivers involved in the two-vehicle collision, but results and a probable cause have not been identified.

History

Young reportedly told investigators he took prescription medication prior to the crash and was checking his phone when the 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck he was driving collided head-on with a First Baptist Church of New Braunfels bus, killing 13 of the 14 passengers on board.

Video footage captured by a motorist following Young showed the pickup veering into the opposing lane of traffic and recorded the witness’s calls to 911. The video did not show the impact.

Twelve bus occupants were pronounced dead at the scene while two survivors were airlifted to San Antonio hospitals. One of the victims died later that day. Rose Mary Harris, 64, is the lone survivor.

In the front seat of Young’s truck at the crash scene, state troopers found empty bottles of Clonazepam and Prazosin. Bottles of the generic forms of Ambien and Lexapro, also found in the pickup truck, contained 29 and 30 pills respectively. Marijuana was also found in the truck.

krubio@ulnnow.com, 830-278-3335

Pete Luna|Leader-NewsAerial footage shows first responders at the scene of a two-vehicle head-on-collision that occurred just south of Garner State Park. Thirteen people died as a result of the March 29, 2017, crash.

Pete Luna|Leader-NewsAerial footage shows first responders at the scene of a two-vehicle head-on-collision that occurred just south of Garner State Park. Thirteen people died as a result of the March 29, 2017, crash.

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