The aftermath of a tragic collision on Interstate 10 continues to reverberate through the Arizona community as details emerge about the driver who caused a school bus to crash near Tucson. On Tuesday, a school bus transporting students from the Kingman Unified School District was struck by an SUV, leading to serious injuries for some of the passengers. As per FOX 10 Phoenix, the SUV driver, identified as 30-year-old Nicolas Rodriguez, tested positive for marijuana and faces three felony counts of aggravated assault.
New details from court documents acquired by AZFamily show Rodriguez admitting to having smoked marijuana two days before the incident. The crash occurred eastbound on I-10 when Rodriguez, who was on his way to a job interview, abruptly changed lanes and collided with the school bus.
The accident involved approximately 40 individuals, including students from Kingman and Lee Williams high schools. Rodriguez, who has been booked into jail on a $100,000 bond, could face more serious charges pending blood sample results. "We want to inform our families that a bus carrying Kingman Unified School District #20 FBLA students and three chaperones was involved in an accident on I-10 near Tucson. Thankfully, there are no fatalities, but several students and a staff member have been transported for medical evaluation," stated the district on its website following the crash.
The Kingman Unified School District extended gratitude to the southern Arizona community for their support in the wake of the crash. "We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Tucson and Marana hospitals, first aid responders, and their community for their exceptional support and assistance provided to our students and staff. Your help truly means the world to us," the school district said. The district is now reaching out for donations to create care baskets for those impacted, requesting items such as gift cards, blankets, and healing aids to be dropped off at the district office.
