Report: Truck driver obstructed by clothing before fatal school bus crash
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The crash report for the school bus-flatbed truck collision that killed a 13-year-old boy in early December reveals the truck driver told police his vision was obstructed by clothing just before the crash.
Tylor Perry was the driver of the truck that hit the bus carrying children from Winamac Community Middle School Dec. 5.
in the collision, and another 14-year-old student was airlifted to the hospital for treatment.
The crash report reveals Perry told police that, as he was nearing the railroad tracks where the collision happened, he was trying to take off a sweatshirt and fleece jacket he was wearing.
"He pulled the clothing over his head and briefly took his eyes off the roadway," the crash report reads. "After he looked back up, he was unable to stop prior to striking the school bus."
A passenger in Perry's truck said he saw Perry try to take off his fleece jacket and returned to reading his phone. Two or three minutes later, the passenger said he felt the truck brake hard and jerk before the collision.
Perry reportedly told police he braked and tried to swerve left. After initially rear-ending the bus, police concluded Perry's truck went into the passing lane and hit the center of the driver's side of the bus again.
Witness accounts of the crash stated in the report suggest Perry's truck was far too close to the school bus before it began to brake. One witness "was adamant that [Perry's truck] never slowed down as it approached the bus."
Neither Perry nor the school bus driver tested positive for the presence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Perry was not cited at the scene, but the report was forwarded to the Marshall County Prosecutor's Office for review.
To read the full narrative of the crash report,
.