Skip to main content

Witness says Driver Who Hit Church Bus Admitted He was Texting

CBN

Share This article

Jack Young, the truck driver accused of causing Wednesday night's head-on collision with a church van that killed 13 people said he was texting and driving, according to a witness at the scene.

"He said, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was texting on my phone,'" Jody Kuchler, who witnessed the crash, told MySA News. Kuchler said he spoke to Young while he was still pinned in his wrecked truck after the collision.

"I told him. 'Son do you know what you just did?' He just kept saying, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry,'" Kuchler recalled. 

He said Friday that he called authorities multiple times to report that Young's white Dodge pickup kept drifting onto the road's shoulder and across its center line. Kuchler warned that an accident was bound to happen -- and it did. 

A group of elderly passengers from First Baptist Church of New Braunfels, Texas, were on their way back from a church retreat when their van collided with Young's truck around 12:30 p.m. on U.S. 83. 

The crash killed 13 people, all from the church van. The lone survivor from the van is hospitalized in critical condition. 

Church officials said in a statement on the First Baptist website that they are ministering to the families who were expecting their loved ones to return home. 

"We are ministering to family members to help them deal with this tragedy," the statement said. "Counselors will be on hand at the church tomorrow. If you're a Christian, you can pray for those who lost their loved ones and for the church family."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his wife, Cecilia, offered their condolences just hours after the crash.

"We are saddened by the loss of life and our hearts go out to all those affected," their statement said. "We thank the first responders working on the scene in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, and ask that all Texans join us in offering their thoughts and prayers."

Share This article