Texas school bus crash: Hays CISD identifies preschooler killed

BUDA, Texas - Hays CISD has identified the preschooler that was killed in Friday's crash involving a district school bus, a concrete truck and another vehicle in Bastrop County.

Five-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya died from injuries he sustained after the bus he was on was struck by the concrete truck which had swerved into the bus's lane, says Hays CISD.

The driver of a third vehicle involved also died, according to Texas DPS.

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The bus carrying 44 Tom Green pre-K students and 11 adults had been returning from a field trip to the Capital of Texas Zoo.

The district says funeral and memorial services for Ulises are still pending.

Those wishing to donate to his funeral fund can do so through GoFundMe.

Read the full memorial statement from Hays CISD below:

In Loving Memory of 5-Year-Old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya

Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, age 5, loved his family, dinosaurs, the color green, and going to school. On Friday, March 22, 2024, he passed away as a result of injuries suffered in the tragic field trip school bus accident in which a Tom Green Elementary School pre-K bus was struck by a cement truck that swerved into the bus’s lane of traffic.

"Ulises was a child who was filled with a lot of happiness and he often shared it with others," said Naira (Dina) Solís Shears, his pre-K bilingual teacher from Tom Green Elementary School. "He had a talent for drawing and his favorite thing to draw was dinosaurs. He could almost completely spell the word dinosaur, which demonstrates how smart he was. He always had a dinosaur drawn on all of the assignments he turned in. He liked to tell stories and shared many with his friends and family. Above all – he was a loving child."

The family is grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support, condolences, and prayers from the community and from people all over the world. At this time, they are welcoming friends and family visits, but ask for privacy from others, including media interview requests, as they process the early stages of their grief. 

Funeral and memorial services for Ulises are still pending. He is survived by a loving and supportive family, including his parents and siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and lots of cousins, who will miss him dearly. 

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The family funeral fund Go Fund Me is here.

The general Tom Green Go Fund Me to help with funeral, medical, and other unanticipated expenses is here.