Courtesy Photo
John Stevens appears with his defense team before Judge Scott McKee in the 392nd District Court Nov. 21 to hear the case against him in the 2019 bus/train accident has been dismissed. 

HENDERSON COUNTY–The case against former Athens ISD bus driver John Stevens has been dismissed. Stevens, 82, was charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child. The charges were dismissed Nov 21. in the 392nd District Court with Judge Scott McKee presiding.
More than four years have passed since The Monitor published the tragic story of a bus/train accident that rocked the community. Stevens, then 78, was driving a 77-passenger school bus south on Cream Level Road in Athens with two students aboard when the accident occurred January 25, 2019.
According to a press release by then Athens Police Chief Buddy Hill, “Just after 4 p.m. Friday, January 25, (2019) the Athens Police Department received a report of an Athens ISD school bus that had been struck by a train in the northeast section of Athens. Upon arrival at the scene, first responders found the train stopped on the tracks near the intersection of Murchison Street. The school bus was partially wrapped around the front of the lead locomotive.” The accident resulted in the death of Athens Middle School student Christopher Bonilla. The other student, Joselyne Torres, was extricated from the bus by Athens Fire Department and transported to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas where she was treated and released days later.
Stevens was indicted by a Henderson County Grand Jury May 31, 2019. and pleaded not guilty to both charges. Stevens’ defense team consisting of Brian Schmidt, Justin Weiner and Mike Head released the following statement Dec. 1 after the charges were dropped. “We are grateful that the Assistant Attorney General reviewed all of the evidence that we were able to gather over the course of this case and re-presented this case to the Grand Jury with those additional facts in mind.  The indictment of John for this tragic accident only further compounded a tragedy for our community.  As of today, the most dangerous railroad crossing in Henderson County remains one of the very last crossings without arm gates or lights to alert drivers of an approaching train.  We call on Union Pacific and other responsible authorities to immediately take measures to ensure that a fifth accident does not occur at this crossing.
 We very much appreciate the overwhelming support of the entire community throughout the entire course of this legal proceeding. Most of all, we sincerely hope that everyone involved can begin to find peace and closure.”