Forney, Texas — School districts across the area and throughout East Texas are encouraging students, teachers, faculty and the community to wear “Maroon on Monday” in a show of solidarity for Athens ISD as they mourn the passing of a student killed in fatal accident on Friday.
Forney, Texas — School districts across the area and throughout East Texas are encouraging students, teachers, faculty and the community to wear “Maroon on Monday” in a show of solidarity for Athens ISD as they mourn the passing of a student killed in fatal accident on Friday.
Officials say just after four o’clock on Friday, a Union Pacific train collided with an Athens ISD school bus. Athens ISD officials and law enforcement confirmed two students were on the bus.
Yesterday, Athens Police Department confirmed in a statement that Christopher Bonilla, 13, a seventh grader at Athens Middle School was killed when he was ejected from the bus. The other student, Joselyne Torres, 9, a fourth grader at Central Athens Elementary was flown to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas where she remains in stable condition following a surgery.
The driver, John Stevens, 78 of Mabank, was taken to a local hospital and was later released.
Athens ISD says the bus driver was hired on August 31, 2018. He had 11 years of prior experience as a bus driver with other districts and no prior incidents according to a district spokesman.
“The loss of life is the most difficult thing we will ever have to deal with in our district. Please keep the families affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the bus driver and the conductor of the train, as they deal with this horrible tragedy. We are committed to doing all we can to support the families during this time,” says Blake Stiles, Athens ISD Superintendent in a press release.
Athens Police Chief Buddy Hill said in a statement that the investigation into the events and circumstances that led to collision is still ongoing. According to Hill, the Athens Police Department has received full cooperation from Athens ISD and Union Pacific officials.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been so deeply devastated by this tragedy. During this time we ask that the families be given the comfort, support, and dignity that they deserve,” said Hill.
In response, local school districts have announced via social media over the weekend that their districts will honor Athens by wearing “Maroon on Monday”.
Forney, Terrell, Kaufman, Crandall, Kemp, Mabank, Malakoff, Royse City, Sunnyvale and Wills Point ISD have all announced plans to allow students and faculty to wear maroon shirts and tops with their standard uniform bottoms on Monday.
inForney.com invites readers to leave messages and pictures of their #MaroonMonday in the comments that can be shared with our neighbors in Athens.
