Remember the 21: The Alton bus crash, 35 years later

ALTON, Texas (ValleyCentral) — September 21, 1989 is a day that changed the Alton community after 21 students lost their lives in the deadliest school bus crash in Texas history.

Ambitions and joys entering the new school year were cut short when a Dr. Pepper truck ran a stop sign and crashed into a bus en route to drop off students to campus.

The impact of the crash caused the school bus to fall into a caliche pit filled with nearly 10 feet of water, kicking in survival instincts for 81 middle school and high school students onboard.

Some students were able to escape from the submerged school bus while others never made it to school or back home to their families.

The fatal accident led the community to face challenges of grief — changing the outlook on life for survivors and loved ones.

On the 35th anniversary of the bus crash, survivors, first responders and school leaders have not forgotten that lives that perished.

A typical bus ride turned chaotic

School bus rides serve as the perfect time for students to daydream, chat with friends and tease one another before arriving to campus for the day. This was the exact atmosphere of Mission CISD school bus No. 6 on September 21.

Each morning, Mission Consolidated Independent School District bus driver Gilberto Pena followed the same route and arrived to his pick-up stops on schedule.

Pena was starting his second trip of the morning which prioritized picking up middle school and high school students, ranging from 12 to 19 years of age.

Siblings Virginia Jones and Alex De Leon were one of the first students onboard the day of the crash. Virginia was 12 years old and attending Mission Junior High.

"It was an adventure every day. You laughed and you just kind of joked around the whole way to school," Virginia said.

On Thursday, September 21, the bus ride was like any typical day: Innocent, crowded and rowdy.

Virginia always sat close to her older brother, Alex, who was 18 at the time of the crash. Both siblings usually sat toward the back of the bus, watching it slowly populate and increase in sound.

That morning, Bus No. 6 had three students to one seat, including students standing in the center aisle.

"It was loud. Everybody was yelling, screaming and throwing paper airplanes. Some kids pulling each others' hair. Just normal kid stuff," De Leon said.

Cynthia Cantu del Bosque had just started her senior year at Mission High School with her mind set to graduating with the distinction of being in the National Honor Society. Motivated to have a successful senior year, Cynthia was also looking forward to being part of the cheerleading team.

"It was towards the end of the school week. Everybody's looking forward to the weekend and looking forward to football Friday," Cynthia said.

Bus driver Pena continued his route westbound on Mile 5 to pick up his last group of students before completing his second trip of the morning. Cynthia says it was a matter of seconds after the last pick-up stop before chaos ensued.

At approximately 7:30 a.m., moments following the last morning pick-up, a Valley Coca-Cola owned Dr. Pepper truck driving northbound on Bryan Road failed to stop and crashed into the school bus.

What was a loud and joyous bus ride, just moments before, quickly turned deadly.

Every second counts

The once energy-filled bus ride would be the final moments for some while for others, there would be lifetime of change and recovery.

"The last group of kids get picked up just right before the intersection that the accident occurred," Cynthia said.

A postaccident report by the National Transporation Board estimates the last pick-up point was approximately 785 feet east of the Bryan Road intersection.

Bus No. 6 regularly drove along the Mile 5 and Bryan Road intersection on a day-to-day basis with no issue until the unfathomable happened.

"I looked out the window and just chit-chat. Everything seemed normal until when I looked and saw the Dr. Pepper truck approaching," Virginia said.

Virginia braced herself, realizing the Dr. Pepper truck was not going to stop. 

"I held on to the seat in front of me," Virginia said.

The fully loaded Dr. Pepper truck approached the intersection at 45 miles-per-hour and crashed into the school bus.

"When it [the truck] hit us from behind, that's when everyone toppled all over the place," Virginia said.

Bus driver Pena's attempt to steer the bus to safety failed as it began to plummet into the water-filled caliche pit.

"You saw the sky. You saw the wall of the pit, then you saw the water. And then you just saw nothing," Virginia said.

Virginia and Cynthia briefly lost consciousness as the bus landed into the caliche pit.

The bus landed face forward and stood vertically for several seconds until it toppled over on its left side.

NTSB estimates the bus sank in less than one minute and began filling up with water through partially open windows and windshield cracks.

Alex is one of few students who remained conscious after the impact. 

Once he saw the bus flooding at a constant rate, Alex knew he needed to act fast with his peers to escape the bus.

The primary emergency exit door at the back of the bus shortly served its purpose until the door jammed shut, according to the NTSB report. 

The boarding door at the front was damaged upon impact, leaving students with one option left, to escape through the side windows.

A moment of surrender

Bus driver Pena and his students began to escape the side windows which measured a 9-inch by 24-inch opening, according to the NTSB report. 

On the report, students expressed the difficulty to find, open and escape through a window due to poor water visibility.

"It was really dark. It was murky. It seemed like the bus seats were floating in the water. I was trying to figure out what was going on," Cynthia said.

Escape was complicated by the murky water, students who became stuck in the small window opening and several students trying to exit the same window simultaneously.

“Everybody's scrambling to get up to the windows. Those windows had latches. If you didn’t snap and hold the latches, the window was going to lock on you,” Alex said.

Racing against the clock, each window that was used to escape only meant water entering the school bus at a faster rate.

Slowly regaining a state of consciousness, Virginia recalls hearing her name repeatedly while the bus filled with water.

“I don’t remember hitting. The next thing I remember is someone calling my name. It sounded distant and far away,” Virginia said. "I don’t know if I opened my eyes, but I felt like I did and it was just white. Then, I saw a hand extend out to me and I thought ‘I’m going with God.’"

Virginia recalls looking up, reaching for the hand and accepting her moment at death’s door.

“I took the hand. The hand grabbed me so tight and yanked me,” Virginia said. “It was my brother.”

Alex, ready to escape the submerging bus, urgently called to his younger sister's rescue.

"He was yelling at me 'We gotta get out! We gotta get out,'" Virginia said.

The murky water, mixed with diesel fuel from the bus, made it near impossible for students to see anything except light shining from the escape windows above.

Virginia made her best attempt to climb up on the bus seats until she reached the window light.

"By the time I knew, the water was up to my neck and my brother's hitting the window for me to hurry up," Virginia said.

With no time to spare, Alex grabbed Virginia by the wrists and pulled her up.

Fighting her way through the small window opening and out the submerging bus, Virginia barely escaped with her older brother by her side.

"I just sat there trying to evaluate what was happening. I'm looking around and it's just he [Alex] and I on top of the bus," Virginia said.

Alex recalls looking below and seeing students' faces pressed against the windows attempting to escape.

Both siblings knew they had an important role to help by any means necessary.

Virginia and Alex began to reach inside the bus and signal students to safety.

"You go in and get them or you wait for them to come back out. That was it," Alex said.

Slowly but surely, students started coming up from of the window.

"You're not counting how many people you're taking out. You're trying to get everybody as fast as you can," Alex said. "You see them there and then they disappear."

Cynthia is one of many students who tried to pull herself out but slipped back down into the bus.

At some point, Cynthia gave up as her continued efforts to escape fell short.

"I just thought I wasn't going to make it anymore and I started to pray. I thanked God for the life I had and I surrendered in that moment," Cynthia said.

What happened during her prayer would be the memory of a lifetime. 

“My neighbor [a student] pulled me out by pulling me from my hair through the window. It was a miracle,” Cynthia said. 

Without a second thought, Cynthia joined classmates Alex and Virginia to pull students out from the bus windows.

“You don’t really stop to think about how big a deal it is. You’re in survival mode,” Cynthia said. “It just instantly came to mind that what I needed to do was try to help people. And so I did.”

The small city with a big heart

At the time of the accident, the City of Alton had a five member police department and a volunteer fire department with 18 firefighters.

The call for help came at 7:34 a.m. after a resident at a nearby house reported hearing a loud impact from the Mile 5 and Bryan Road intersection.

According to the NTSB report, all the resident could see from his window is a crashed Dr. Pepper truck, but no other vehicles involved.

The resident and eyewitnesses reportedly went to the scene, realizing the school bus was submerged inside the pit and students were screaming for help.

7:40 a.m.

Six minutes after the first emergency call, an Alton police officer arrived at the scene. Unknowing of the bus inside the pit and seeing only a crashed Dr. Pepper truck, the officer called for assistance.

During the call for assistance, an Alton volunteer firefighter arrived at the scene and realized the magnitude of the situation.

7:47 a.m.

Thirteen minutes following the first call, an Alton volunteer firefighter was the first person to jump into the pit and reach the bus.

The firefighter's actions were followed by an eyewitness who also jumped in the water and reached the bus to assist in rescuing students.

At the city's most vulnerable moment, the community did not hesitate to lend a helping hand to rescue students from the water-filled caliche pit.

The small city law enforcement response turned into a mass response bringing in rescue teams from the entire Rio Grande Valley.

Along with the rescue teams and eyewitnesses, Mission High School coaches that were certified in CPR were called to assist at the scene.

"I could hear my phone ringing in my office over and over. I finally got to my office, picked up the phone and someone just yelled," said Iris Iglesias, former coach and retired educator with Mission CISD.

On the drive from Mission High School to Mile 5 and Bryan Road, Iglesias recalls being passed by several ambulances, DPS and Border Patrol units before she arrived to the crash site.

7:50 a.m.

In complete shock, a community of people looked into the 40-foot-deep pit as students looked up the cliff, waving people down and waiting to be rescued.

The scene quickly gathered with responders who helped students out of the caliche pit, EMS and off-duty doctors who assisted by providing medical attention, priests who prayed over the sunken school bus, and families who scrambled to find their loved ones.

"You can hear sirens and everything," Virginia said. "There were people crying and yelling. I just know that there was chaos out there."

Rescuers were stationed at three spots on the scene: At the top of the cliff, inside the pit's shoreline and inside the bus saving students one by one.

Ricardo Saldana, former Shift Captain with the Mission Fire Department, is one of many who responded to the scene and coordinated with the rescue operation at the top of the cliff.

“Mothers were crying. There was a lot of yelling. Tensions were high,” Saldana said. “Aside from dealing with the attempt of the rescues, we were having to deal with controlling them.”

Saldana and his fellow rescuers set a series of 35-foot extension ladders to climb down to the pit's shore.

At the shore, rescuers both swam without gear and paddled to the bus with emergency rafts in an effort to rescue as many students as possible.

"They [firefighters] were going through the windows of the bus and extracting them through those windows," Saldana said.

Attempts were made by breaking the bus windows and knocking over frames to retrieve students and assist them up the ladders.

The hours-long rescue

Students who escaped the submerged bus either swam or floated on life preservers thrown into the pit by rescuers, according to the NTSB report. 

Cynthia acted on an impulse and swam from the bus to the extension ladders on the edge of the pit, not knowing how to swim. 

“I just decided that I wasn’t going to wait for them [first responders] to come to me,” Cynthia said. “I just threw myself in the water and swam over there and made my way to the edge.”

Cynthia was met by firefighters who helped her up the extension ladder as she made her way to the top. 

Virginia and her brother Alex swam together from the bus towards the south end of the pit with one goal: to get out safely.

“I had just learned how to swim that summer. I was so shaky, but I knew what the goal was and I just swam over there,” Virginia said. 

Both siblings swam fearlessly until they made it to the shore and were helped by firefighters and neighbors.

Virginia was determined to make her way out of the pit on the 35-foot extension ladder.

“I was shaking in each little step I was taking and then finally I’m at the top,” Virginia said. “You looked around and there were so many people. I had no clue that that was happening outside of the pit. It was incredible.”

Neighbors continued to help by throwing water hoses into the pit and pulling students out as others watched, cried and prayed over the tragedy that struck in the small town.

“There’s this man that I used to go to his house to earn money. He’s at the top on a horse with a water hose and he’s screaming ‘Swim! Swim!’” Alex recalled. 

Alex swam to safety at the edge of the cliff as the man dropped the water hose down and reeled him up to the roadway. 

“I'm grabbing the edge of the cliff and he pulled me up. I was out of danger,” Alex said. 

Students who made it to the top were met with a large crowd and faces of disbelief. 

“You start feeling the agony because you hear your friends cry for their brothers and sisters and there’s nothing you can do,” Alex said. 

Students who reached the surface were treated by EMS personnel then transported to area hospitals for further evaluation.

Rescuers inside the pit continued to pull bodies out of the bus and attempted to revive the remaining students through CPR. 

The number of fatalities began to increase, one by one. 

Hospital and morgue

The day of the crash, 19 students were pronounced dead at the scene from asphyxia by drowning. 

Eleven drowned students were removed from the center section of the bus by Alton's first responders. 

The remaining students who perished at the scene were later removed by divers and taken to a temporary morgue for identification.

Mission CISD coordinated with the City of Alton, Hidalgo County and first responders to arrange two designated stations for parents to locate their loved ones. 

Former Mission CISD school board member Ciro Ochoa took charge of the first station at the Mission Community Center. 

Ochoa’s duty was to deliver the news to parents if their child survived or passed away.

Following the news, Ochoa let families know to report to the hospital or the second station. 

The Hidalgo County Veterans Pavilion served as the second station and as a temporary morgue for parents to claim their children. 

Nearly 60 students who made it out of the pit were taken to area hospitals and evaluated based on the severity of their injuries. 

Ambulances and vans rushed students to the following hospitals: Mission Hospital, McAllen Medical Center and Rio Grande Regional Medical Center. 

Three students sustained serious injuries, 46 sustained minor injuries and 11 students were not injured, according to the NTSB report.

Ruben Perez, the 26-year-old driver of the Dr. Pepper truck and his unnamed passenger sustained minor injuries in the crash. School bus driver Pena, 43, also sustained minor injuries, according to the NTSB report. 

“They took a bunch of us, maybe like eight of us in an ambulance,” Virginia said. “We were all smashed in the ambulance.”

Each student went their separate ways, in hopes to reunite with friends and family. 

Cynthia reunited with her mom, who was working as a nurse at the time, at McAllen Medical.

“That was the moment where I let it all out. Because my mom was there, I was able to cry,” Cynthia said. 

An array of heightened emotions were expressed by the Alton community, but for Virginia, she remained in a dissociative state.

“I was so in a dreamlike state. I didn’t know this was real,” Virginia said. “I was hoping it was a dream, but I realized soon that it wasn’t a dream.”

Virginia was transported to Mission Hospital with hopes to see her friends alive and well. 

“Little did I know, it was going to be so much worse,” Virginia said.

Virginia came out of her dissociative state and came to reality when she learned the news of the fatalities.

“The news comes up and they’re showing what’s happening in the scene, then all of a sudden they start scrolling the names. That’s when I reacted,” Virginia said.

Two students went slowly and later died at the hospital, increasing the death toll to 21. The last two students died of complications associated with asphyxia from near drowning. 

“I expected everyone to be alive,” Virginia said tearfully. “I never thought in my wildest dreams that anybody was going to die.”

The chaos that arose in Alton that September 21 morning turned silent for months to come.

The aftermath

Prayers were expressed by the Rio Grande Valley to the neighboring city that endured an unimaginable, tragic loss. 

Memorials, church prayers and candlelight vigils were dedicated for the young lives lost and the grieving families who would never see their children again.

A football game scheduled at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium that week was postponed to hold a ceremony to remember the students who passed away.

At the ceremony, survivors and school leaders were seen on the football field releasing balloons as each of the victim’s names were called out, followed by a moment of silence. 

“I had the honor of holding one of the balloons at that ceremony,” Cynthia said. “Everyone was in disbelief that this happened in our community.”

When the balloons were released, they collectively gathered in the middle of the field before they floated up.

“It just was a surreal moment because it gave us a little consolation that the kids are together. It was a little peace we could have to know that everything was going to be okay,” Cynthia continued.

It remains a mystery as to how each balloon made it from different areas of the football field before gathering on the 50-yard line and floating off together.

“They stayed together, the whole bunch. You have 21 huge balloons doing that,” former coach Iglesias said. “You just had to witness it.”

Families received an outpour of love and support as the Alton community carried a weight of loss and heartache.

Veterans Memorial Gardens in Mission granted a free cemetery plot for all 21 students with assistance to aid families with food, medication and funeral expenses.

A rosary was held at the Basilica of Our Lady in San Juan del Valle-National Shrine, the first of its kind in the church’s history.

The victims’ families were led into the church by a procession of caskets that were escorted by a large number of people who paid their respects to remember the 21.

Outcries and prayers rang out in the church as the lead pastor blessed over the children’s caskets before they were laid to rest.

Coping

A heavy absence was felt and lingered throughout the school year as students were trying to understand and accept an impactful loss at a young age. Survivors took a mental pause to cope with the fatal event through therapy, newfound faith and rebellion. 

Mission CISD and Hidalgo County offered all parties involved in the crash to get in contact with mental health professionals to overcome their emotional and psychological trauma.

School counselors, Charter Palms Behavioral and the Texas Department of State Health Services served as the main outlets for loved ones to seek help.

“That trauma lasted for years,” said Eddie Olivarez, the Chief Administrative Officer for Hidalgo County Health and Human Services. 

Olivarez describes the events of the crash unfolding like a domino effect that went on for years.

“There was alcoholism and drug addiction and tragic domestic violence situations,” Olivarez said. 

Some survivors, first responders and families sought help after the crash. Others rejected help due to denial or lack of mental health awareness. Alex was referred to a psychiatrist when he decided it was not the right treatment option for him. 

“I told the psychiatrist there’s nothing wrong with me. Sure, I’m grieving, but people grieve differently,” Alex said.

Alex followed down a path of substance abuse and frustration to cope with the bus crash.

“Nobody ever expects to wake up and to be in an accident then see your friends die,” Alex said. “I was heavy on drugs and alcohol was a big factor for me. I couldn't get this thing off my mind.”

A 12-year old Virginia grieved by questioning her faith and purpose in life for the remainder of her middle school and high school years. 

“I wasn’t able to go to school for a month or so,” Virginia said. “I didn't want to be at school.”

Virginia met with a school counselor where she, and other survivors, first discovered what they were feeling as a response to the crash: survivor’s guilt.

“I questioned God a lot,” Virginia said. “Why am I here? Why aren’t they here? They were such good people. They were the best students. I had a lot of guilt that day and I carried it for a very long time.”

Cynthia first coped by focusing solely on her studies to maintain her goal of graduating from the National Honor Society. In March 1990, six months after the crash, Cynthia decided to admit herself to Charter Palms to cope with the bus accident. 

At Charter Palms, Cynthia was able to learn how to cope with the loss of her friends, neighbors and with the impact that the accident was having on her mental health.

As time passed, Alex, Virginia and Cynthia learned to make more sense of their survivor’s guilt into their adulthood. 

Some survivors never healed entirely from the experience but have managed to grow around their trauma to lead a life of solace and forgiveness. 

Virginia

One decade after the crash, Virginia continued to move forward and create a life of her own.

“It was a lot of conversations with God. I did end up feeling freedom that I didn’t feel before. I still felt guilt, but I don’t think that’s ever gonna go away,” Virginia said. 

Each conversation with God guided Virginia to discover her faith and lifelong purpose in early adulthood. Virginia continued to move forward from her childhood trauma to create a life and family of her own.

“I got married and I got pregnant. I wasn't expecting it,” Virginia said. “When I found out I was pregnant, I found my purpose.”

Virginia knew she would do everything she could to provide a life of love, support and safety for her child. 

Her son, now 25 years old, is proud to call Virginia his mom and a survivor. 

“My son is very aware of all my emotions behind it. We talk about it and he asks me how I’m feeling,”  Virginia said. “I look at him now and I’m so grateful. This is why I’m here.” 

Cynthia

A second chance at life has given Cynthia the push to live selflessly and purposefully. As a way to cope, Cynthia has dedicated a significant part of her life to remembering the 21 and keeping their memory alive. 

“I try to do the best that I can in my life in their memory, because they didn't get to live their lives. They will never marry. They will never have children,” Cynthia said.

Cynthia has passed down words of wisdom of never taking life for granted to her two sons. 

“I tell them the bus crash story all the time. They're also following in those footsteps where they cherish their life,” Cynthia said. 

After graduating high school, Cynthia went on to obtain her bachelor's degree and later earned her Juris Doctorate degree to become an attorney. 

“The bus crash definitely made a big difference in my life, Cynthia said. “It’s given my life some meaning and it certainly has jerked me into kind of realizing that you cannot take your days for granted,” she said.

Alex 

Since 2006, Alex has decided to face his trauma through creative expression. His love for writing has helped him step out of a life of substance abuse and bettering himself. 

Where the pen meets the paper is when Alex is happiest.

“I make music and I write poetry. That’s my most sensitive part of me where I can release everything and express myself,” Alex said. “It’s way better than talking to a psychiatrist.”

Alex’s troubled past and now independent approach to life reminds him to not take anything for granted. 

“Do good. Listen to your parents. Don’t do anything foolish. I've been through my prison. I've been through my jail. And I overcame that,” Alex said.

Alex says the bus crash was a blessing in disguise that changed his outlook on life and his relationship with God. He believes that if it were not for what he experienced during the bus crash, he would have ended up in worse trouble.

“God gave me the opportunity to change my life, to learn the lessons of life and learn things that I didn’t know,” Alex said.

Through years of instability and strained relationships, Alex now knows where he belongs. At the beginning of 2024, Alex took a leap of faith to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Karen. 

Now, Alex is happily engaged and sharing his story through his craft with Karen by his side.

“To make it this far, for all the things that I've done and what I've been through. That’s the most significant part for me to be able to express myself,” Alex said. “My fiancee is a big supporter of my music and the things I do. It’s been beautiful.”

School bus regulations

The National Transportation Board investigated the crash and addressed bus safety flaws that prevented students from escaping the submerged bus on September 21.

At least 55 students were reported to escape through windows that were not designed as emergency exits while others struggled through faulty emergency exits until they made an escape. 

Investigators looked into every aspect of the crash including vehicle examinations, driver qualifications, driver medical history, violation conviction records and toxicology information.

“All of the investigations that took place found that we had complied with the law. Our buses were well maintained,” said Rafael Cantu, former superintendent with Mission CISD. “Our personnel had done their job. That gave us a little bit of consolation. But still, we lost 21 young people.”

The NTSB investigation determined the students’ difficulty to escape and lack of emergency exits on the school bus contributed to the number of casualties.

As a result of the accident, federal regulations were put into effect to allow for upgraded exits on school buses to allow a safe and sufficient escape in case of an emergency.

The 1990 Revised Edition of Standards for School Buses and Operations details how emergency exits have immediately changed and improved since the Alton bus crash. 

For additional precaution, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed the need for lap and shoulder belts on all school buses to prevent passengers from being ejected during an accident. 

On the 25th anniversary of the Alton bus crash, NTSB recognized the fatal event as a catalyst to emergency exit improvements on school buses across the nation.

“As we reflect on the Alton crash twenty-five years later and the 21 young lives lost, we recognize that because of that loss and the changes that were made to buses, lives have been saved.”

The National Transportation Board

Legacy

Alton stayed humble by nature and resilient at heart after the accident left a profound impact on the community. That impact has been and will continue to be felt for generations to come. 

In the first year after the crash, Mission CISD held a ceremony at the caliche pit site to take a moment of silence and honor the young lives lost. 

Since then, each anniversary has turned into a tradition to remember the 21. 

Throughout the years, the Alton and Mission community has honored the 21 students through ceremonies, candlelight prayers, a memorial garden, a legacy school and a monument.

Alex, Virginia and Cynthia are doing their part in keeping a piece of Rio Grande Valley history alive in the students’ honor.

The once water-filled caliche pit now sits as a memorial site where survivors and new visitors can reflect on the tragic events that took place 35 years ago. 

“I pass by there pretty regularly. It brings back a lot of memories,” Cynthia said. “The only thing that we can do is tell the story so that they're not forgotten. I think that's the biggest memorial that we can have for them.”

At the memorial site, 21 crosses are displayed to represent each life that was lost in the crash.

Each cross is surrounded by flowers, handwritten notes, a marble inscription of the 21 names and a life-size Catholic statue; a tranquil place where chaos once transpired. 

“It's a place where you feel solace and it feels okay to be there,” Virginia said. “I just go to sit there, say my little prayer and be grateful.”

“It's a blessing to be able to express what happened,” Alex said. “There’s also turmoil reliving it, but you have to in order to keep the memory alive and to show people that at least somebody remembers those people.”

The everlasting tribute is a reminder of the unforgettable hardships, a symbol of hope and unity.

“Any memorial that we have is going to be for their lives,” Cynthia said. “It's important that we do that to console their families and to make them understand that we're still here remembering them, and that they have not been forgotten.”

In memoriam of the 21:

Maria Alfaro, Carmen Canales, Elizabeth Flores, Ruby Lopez, Roberto Bazaldua Jr.,
Elda P. Cruz, Abdon Garcia, Marta Amelia Lozano, Margarita Buentello, Raul Flores,
Armando Gonzalez, Jose L. Ortega, Veronica Perez, Yesenia Perez, Roman Quintero,
Apolonia Regalado, Maria Regalado, Anna Rodriguez, David Saenz, Michael P. Saenz,
and Alberto Vasquez.

ValleyCentral reached out to the family of Dr. Pepper driver, Ruben Perez. The Perez family declined to be interviewed for this story.

It was confirmed through the sequence of interviews that Mission CISD school bus driver, Gilberto Pena, has passed away.