LSP stated that the party bus had been “traveling at a high rate of speed” when it struck the fire engine, then a Toyota Camry that it pushed into another truck and trailer, then struck three firefighters that had been standing near a guardrail.
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A fatal bus crash that claimed the life of a 21-year-old MS man and a Louisiana fire chief has had a heartbreaking development: the driver had illegally entered the United States from Honduras, and didn’t even have a driver’s license.
Police said the driver will be charged with two counts of negligent homicide.
Mug shot of 37 year old Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, the man identified as the driver of the bus involved in the second crash that occurred on the I-10.
It’s unclear if Rodriguez was an employee of AM Party Bus and Kristina’s Transportation LLC, which are the two names of the company that the bus belonged to. A call by the Associated Press to Kristina’s Transportation in Destrehan, 12 miles from Jefferson in St. Charles Parish, was not answered Sunday.
St. John the Baptist Fire District Chief Spencer Chauvin was among those killed in the early morning crash after the chartered bus slammed into him as he tried to help victims of another accident, Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey told reporters at a news conference.
After striking the rear of the Camry, the charter bus came across the right lane when it struck the ladder truck and hit the three firemen, sending them over the guardrail and into the water. Starr, who occupied the other rear seat, was pronounced dead on the scene.
One firefighter was critically injured; other injuries ranged from minor to moderate, Matey said.
District Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin and a back-seat occupant of the small auto were killed.
“This is a very sad day for all first responders in Louisiana”, said Colonel Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent according to the Louisiana State Police.
Flags fly at half staff at the St. John the Baptist Fire Station in honor of Chief Spencer Chauvin.
“The driver of the charter bus, did not have a driver’s license, was not authorized to drive a commercial motor vehicle”, said Trooper Matey. “Louisiana has the “move over” law in place to protect our first responders on our roadways”.
Two of his passengers, Vontravous Kelly and David Jones, both of Moss Point, were hospitalized. “Please adhere to this law and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and disabled vehicles on the road”.
Six other people were airlifted to trauma hospitals in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Matey said.
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Authorities said they have identified 24 passengers who were on the bus and that they were heading to Baton Rouge in the flooding aftermath, but were not volunteers as some had referred to them soon after the accident.
