Truck Driver Found Guilty of Misdemeanor Vehicular Homicide in Deadly Band Bus Crash on I-70

0
8K


LICKING COUNTY, Ohio — A truck driver involved in a devastating 2023 crash that killed six people aboard a high school marching band bus has been cleared of all felony charges but found guilty on six misdemeanor counts of vehicular homicide, according to court proceedings concluded on Friday, May 16.

Jacob McDonald, 61, was initially facing 26 charges following the November 2023 crash on Interstate 70 in northeast Ohio. The charges included:

  • 6 counts of aggravated vehicular homicide (3rd-degree felonies)

  • 9 counts of vehicular assault (4th-degree felonies)

  • 11 counts of assault (1st-degree misdemeanors)

The crash occurred when McDonald failed to slow down for traffic that had built up due to a previous accident. His semi-truck rear-ended a car, pushing it into a bus carrying students and chaperones from a high school marching band. Three students and three adults were killed in the crash.

 

Judge David Branstool ruled that while the crash was tragic, the state failed to prove the recklessness required to support felony charges, resulting in only misdemeanor convictions.

“This job gives me the opportunity to recognize how, at various points in our life, we’re all just a few feet or a few seconds away from disaster. And that’s what happened here,” Judge Branstool said during the verdict.

McDonald’s sentencing will take place at a later date. According to his defense attorney, the maximum sentence he now faces is 18 months.

The ruling has stirred mixed reactions in the community, as the emotional toll of the crash remains heavy on the families of the victims and the local school district.


Search
Sponsored
Categories
Read More
Trucking News
UPDATE: Three Killed, Two Injured in Fiery Six-Vehicle Crash on I-75 Near Calhoun, Georgia
CALHOUN, Ga. — Authorities have identified three people killed in a devastating six-vehicle...
By Truck Drivers Life 2025-05-14 14:19:43 0 6K
Video
Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: vehicles fall into water after ship hits bridge
A major bridge in Baltimore in the US state of Maryland has snapped and collapsed after...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2024-03-26 11:10:33 0 17K
Trucking News
Feds find $4 million worth of cocaine disguised in semi’s shipment of decorative stone
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in California recently discovered millions of dollars...
By American Truck Drivers 2023-01-22 23:38:45 0 13K
Trucking News
Alaska asks FMCSA for exemption from Entry Level Driver Training requirements
State officials in Alaska are requesting an exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2022-07-06 20:58:18 0 13K
Trucking News
Big rig stolen from Indiana truck stop, tractor and trailer recovered separately
Indiana State Police (ISP) arrested a man in connection with the theft of a truck and trailer...
By MEGA MISTAKES 2022-09-02 13:29:57 0 19K
Truck Drivers Life | Social Network for Truck Drivers https://www.truckdrivers.life