School bus crashes into auto lot

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

An early-morning phone call the day before he and his wife were to go on vacation did not go well for Central TX Autos owner Jesse Maciel Jr.

On Thursday, Nov. 17, Maciel answered a call at about 5:30 a.m. from the Lockhart Police Department, informing him he should get to his business.

When Maciel arrived, he saw a Lockhart ISD school bus had ripped through his garage area at the business, located at the southwest intersection of Colorado Street (U.S. 183) and San Antonio Street (SH 142), across San Antonio Street from Schlotzsky’s.

According to videos of the incident, a sedan turning north from San Antonio Street onto Colorado Street hit the bus that was heading south on Colorado Street. The bus then careened through the Central TX Autos’ lot where many cars were parked. The bus hit four of the outside vehicles, according to Maciel, then stopped when it ran into the garage, but not before ripping up the garage as well as causing much debris to fall on the classic Roadster – aka “High Boy” – that was parked inside.

The Lockhart Police Department responded to the crash.

The driver of the bus had only moments earlier picked up the bus, Maciel believes, from the nearby bus barn of Lockhart ISD. There were no children on the bus at the time of the accident and neither driver sustained injuries.

According to a press release from the City of Lockhart, the driver of the sedan is facing a charge of Failure to Yield – Right of Way. The incident remains under investigation.

The stop light at the intersection is flashing at that time of morning, according to Maciel.

Videos of the incident show the sedan pulling forward, backing up, then pulling forward again as it hit the bus. The bus then rolled through the car lot, which was full at the time, then plowed into the garage door.

Maciel’s prized vehicle, a 1942 Roadster “High Boy,” was parked in the garage and suffered much damage from the debris that fell. Maciel said he had already invested a significant amount into the Roadster.

Other vehicles that were damaged by the bus included a Cadillac, Volkswagon Jetta, Chevy Traverse, and an SUV.