11-23-16 UPDATE/11-21-16 Traffic Crash/5 Fatalities

11/23/16 UPDATE:

• An additional charge of vehicular homicide will be added
• Chattanooga Police Department has obtained warrants for all data devices on the school bus
• Blood results are back from TBI. No alcohol or drugs were found in driver's blood. 

11/21/16 ORIGINAL RELEASE:

At approx 3:25 p.m. Chattanooga Police responded to a traffic crash involving a Hamilton County School bus. The following are the preliminary details of that crash:

• Hamilton County Department of Education confirms there were at 37 students on board, all of whom attend Woodmore Elementary from grades Kindergarten to 5th.
• Of the students involved in the crash there were 5 confirmed fatalities, 6 were critically injured, 6 were admitted but not critically injured, and 20 were treated and released by local hospitals
• The Chattanooga Police department will not be releasing victim names due to the fact that they all are juveniles
• No other vehicles were involved in the crash
• Chattanooga Fire Department was involved in extricating victims who were entrapped
• Chattanooga Police Traffic Division investigators will be processing the scene overnight and determining the sequence of events related to the crash
• The driver was interviewed and subsequently arrested

Driver:

Johnthony Walker
24 years old

Charges:
Vehicular Homicide (5 counts)
Reckless Endangerment
Reckless Driving