In a heart-wrenching incident that has left the Hays school community in mourning, a tragic accident involving a school bus claimed the lives of two individuals, including a young prekindergarten student, on a fateful Friday afternoon.
The victims of the devastating crash in Bastrop County have been identified as 5-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, a bright and beloved pre-K student at Tom Green Elementary School, and 33-year-old Ryan Wallace. The Hays school district and the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed their identities separately.
Ulises was known for his love of the color green, his family, school, and especially dinosaurs. “He could almost completely spell the word dinosaur, which shows his intelligence,” remarked Naira (Dina) Solís Shears, his pre-K bilingual teacher. “He always included a dinosaur drawing on every assignment he submitted.”
The accident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. on Friday, at 2751 W. Texas 21 near Caldwell Road. According to DPS officials, the collision involved a Hays school bus, a concrete truck, and another car. The school bus, carrying 44 students and 11 adults from a zoo field trip in Bastrop, was struck by a concrete truck that veered into the opposite lane, causing the bus to roll over. Several children were ejected from the bus during the crash.
Ryan Wallace, a resident of Bastrop and a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas, was driving a Dodge Charger and collided with the rear of the bus. He was not part of the school group. The cause of the concrete truck’s lane departure remains unclear, and it has not been disclosed whether charges will be filed against the driver.
In the aftermath of the crash, at least 20 individuals were transported to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to critical. By Monday evening, all children had been discharged from the hospital, while one adult, an early childhood education teacher, remained hospitalized with serious injuries.
The district canceled classes at Tom Green Elementary on Monday but kept the campus open for students and staff seeking counseling services.
The community has come together in grief, with teachers and residents wearing green, bringing balloons, and laying flowers under the school sign in tribute to the victims. The tragedy has sparked discussions about safety on school trips, with some parents expressing reluctance to allow their children to participate in future outings.
A memorial featuring prayer candles and plastic dinosaur toys, along with a child-drawn picture of smiling dinosaurs and palm trees bearing Ulises’ name, has grown under the school sign. Tiffany Reyna and her children, along with other parents, came to the school to write encouraging messages on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk for the returning Tom Green students.
The bus involved in the crash did not have seat belts, as it was a 2011 model. The Hays district has recently received a shipment of 21 new buses equipped with seat belts, intended to replace the older models and enhance the district’s backup fleet. The district is also considering the purchase of an additional 40 buses with seat belts, a proposal likely to be included in a future bond.
This tragedy has deeply affected the community, prompting an outpouring of support and raising questions about the safety of school transportation. As the community mourns, efforts to support the victims’ families, including GoFundMe campaigns, have seen significant contributions from people touched by the incident.