Truck Driver Indicted for Fatal Bus Crash

Jacob McDonald, a 61-year-old truck driver, has been indicted on 26 charges, including six counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, following a deadly crash on November 14, 2023, in Licking County, Ohio. The crash involved a Freightliner truck that struck a Nissan and a charter bus carrying high school students, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including three students and three adult chaperones. Over a dozen others were injured in the incident, which was exacerbated by the truck driver's failure to slow down for traffic. Dash cam footage reportedly confirmed that McDonald was following vehicles too closely before the crash. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond and is scheduled for arraignment on July 30, 2024. The Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to investigate the incident, with impairment ruled out as a contributing factor.