LICKING COUNTY, Ohio — The National Transportation Safety Board released new documents regarding the deadly bus crash on Interstate 70 in Licking County last year that killed six people and injured 18 others.
The crash happened on the morning of Nov. 14 on I-70 near the Smoke Road underpass, about 26 miles east of Columbus. Three of the six people killed were students in the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District.
The driver of the semi who plowed into the back of a charter bus and several other vehicles, 61-year-old Jacob McDonald, has been indicted on 26 charges, including six counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. His trial is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2025.
What's in the new documents?
A new investigative report shows McDonald was not impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. He was taking medicine for diabetes and blood pressure, but investigators determined that those did not impair him.
The report also states that he was traveling 74 mph in a 70 mph zone less than two miles before the crash.
Investigators say data usage from McDonald's phone shows a peak of 39.8 megabytes per minute, roughly 10 minutes before the crash. The report compares that peak to someone streaming high-definition videos, which uses 41.7 megabytes per minute. However, data information at the time couldn't be retrieved since the phone was destroyed in the crash. There's no way to know if McDonald was watching a video or if his phone was going through an automatic update.
What did McDonald tell troopers?
In an interview with Ohio State Highway Patrol, McDonald told investigators that he did not remember the moments leading to the crash. He remembered seeing his truck on fire and leaving his house that morning, but nothing before the crash.
McDonald told investigators he was delivering about 16,000 pounds worth of Honda batteries to Marysville.
Semi driver's past
The report shows McDonald has nine prior traffic violations from 2003 to 2022, but has no history of license suspensions or a reported crash history. Five of the nine citations were related to speed and two others were for following too closely.
In March 2022, the report says authorities stopped McDonald for going 75 mph in a 60 mph zone. When authorities approached, McDonald reportedly had his cellphone out and a video game was loaded and visible.
What did the charter bus driver tell troopers?
The driver of the charter bus said he was slowing down for traffic in front of him. Previous reports from the OSHP said traffic on the interstate was slowing down for a crash.
The driver said he felt a big hit in the back of the bus and his left leg and foot.
He told troopers he was paying attention to what was in front of him and never saw anything in his mirrors. He didn't know what hit the bus at the time, but he knew it had to be big.
The driver recalled seeing the flames in the back of the bus as the band director worked to get everyone off of the burning vehicle.
"The band director was sitting right beside me and she said 'everybody get out.' So you know, I waited until, you know, most of them got out because -- they were more important," the driver told troopers.
Who were the victims?
Three passengers on the charter bus and three people in an SUV were killed in the crash.
The three victims on the bus, all students, were identified as 18-year-old John Mosley, 18-year-old Jeffrey Worrell and 15-year-old Katelyn Owens.
The three people in the SUV were identified as 56-year-old Dave Kennat, 39-year-old Kristy Gaynor and 45-year-old Shannon Wigfield.
Katelyn Owens
Katelyn was a sophomore at Tuscarawas Valley High School and played clarinet in the school's marching band. She was described as "the sweetest person I know."
Jeffery "J.D." Worrell
Jeffery was a senior at Tuscarawas Valley High School and played bass drum in the school's marching band. He was a member of the TVHS marching and concert bands, select choir, drama club, speech and debate team and pep club. After graduation, he wanted to major in psychology and vocal music or find a job doing voiceovers or voice acting. His sister described him as "the most amazing, outgoing, and kind person."
John "Wyatt" Mosley
Wyatt was a senior at Tuscarawas Valley High School and played snare drum in the school's marching band. He was a member of the TVHS marching band, select choir, drama club and track team. After graduation, he planned to take a gap year to pursue a career in acting, then go to college for computer programming
Dave Kennat
Dave, of Parma and a graduate of Ohio University, taught math to grades 9-12 at Tuscarawas Valley High School. He was known to the community as "the voice" of the Tusky Valley band, as he would introduce the band for their football halftime shows. According to a friend of his, Dave was the kind of guy who would help and was always willing to lend a hand.
Shannon Wigfield
Shannon was an English Language Arts instructor at the Buckeye Career Center for 24 years. In a Facebook post, the Buckeye Career Center said she was "adored by her co-workers and students and will be remembered for her loving smile and always positive attitude."
Kristy Gaynor
Kristy was a parent and chaperone on the band trip and was a mother of three.