“It’s my understanding they were all able to get out on their own except for the [deceased] driver who remains on scene”, said Farr, during an impromptu press conference at DIA.
Advertisement
The impact of the crash crushed the front of the school bus where the driver – a woman whose name and age has not been released – was sitting.
The bus had just picked up arriving members of the Legacy High School football squad and was circling back to the airport when it crashed.
Heath Montgomery, a spokesman for the airport, said the bus had been approaching the passenger arrivals section on the fourth level of the east terminal about 4 p.m. (6 p.m. ET) when it veered into a support bridge for an upper level.
“There’s a big mystery there”, he said. School officials say Legacy’s homecoming week will have special poignancy because of Sunday’s crash, which killed the driver and injured 18 passengers. Tire tracks show she made no attempt to avoid the pillar. They are also studying the bus for mechanical problems.
Sgt. Mike Farr says investigators still don’t know what caused Chopper to drive directly into the pillar.
43-year-old Kari Chopper was described by her husband as “devoted to her kids”, and is survived by four children of her own.
The school district said the students involved are being monitored and evaluated by Legacy High School’s athletic trainer. Several of the students already have been released.
School officials told The Denver Post that some of this week’s homecoming events were being postponed, including a “Powderpuff” football game that was planned for Monday evening. Players on the bus were members of the varsity and junior varsity teams.
Advertisement
“Really, our focus needs to be making sure our students and staff are cared for”, he said.
