SANGER, TX — The student killed in Thursday’s rollover school bus crash has been identified as 13-year-old Julian Amador, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The crash happened in an unincorporated part of Denton County on Huling Road near Lois Road East. Sanger Independent School District said it is grieving alongside the student’s family and others affected by the tragedy.
Authorities say the bus left the roadway, hit a culvert and rolled over. A 13-year-old student died later at a local hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.
Crash happened Thursday afternoon on Huling Road near Lois Road East
The deadly wreck unfolded Thursday afternoon in rural Denton County, where the school bus veered off the road and overturned after striking a culvert. The location was identified as Huling Road near Lois Road East in an unincorporated area.
That roadside setting matters because it places the crash outside a city center and on a stretch where vehicles can encounter ditches, culverts and other hazards close to the pavement. Officials have not publicly said what caused the bus to leave the roadway.
Texas Department of Public Safety investigators are still working to determine how the crash happened.
Tarrant County Medical Examiner identifies the child killed
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the student as Julian Amador, 13. That identification came after the student died at a local hospital from injuries suffered in the rollover.
The medical examiner’s confirmation provided the name and age of the child nearly a day after the crash. Sanger ISD had already said one student died in the bus wreck before the identification was released.
Julian’s death was the only fatality reported from the crash.
Three other students and the driver were hurt only slightly
Along with the student who died, three other students were on the bus when it crashed. The driver, 38-year-old Jesse Padgett, was also aboard.
All four survivors had only minor injuries, according to the details released after the wreck. That stands in contrast to the fatal injuries suffered by the student who died at the hospital.
Officials did not provide additional information about the condition of the other students or whether any were treated at the scene or at a medical facility.
Sanger ISD says its thoughts are with the family and others affected
Sanger ISD issued a statement after the identification, offering condolences to the student’s family and to everyone affected by the crash. The district said, “Our hearts are with the student’s family and all those impacted by this tragedy.”
The district also asked the community to keep the family and others touched by the crash in their thoughts. The statement reflected the immediate impact the death has had on the school district and the families connected to the bus route.
No additional district response was included in the update.
Texas DPS is still investigating what caused the rollover
The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. So far, investigators have not said why the bus left the road or whether weather, road conditions or a mechanical issue played any role.
With the cause still under review, the known facts remain focused on the sequence of the crash itself: the bus struck a culvert, rolled over and left one student dead and four others with minor injuries.
That investigation will determine whether more details emerge about the moments before the vehicle overturned.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
