Autopsy: Morehouse bus driver died of natural causes

By Marcus K. Garner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The driver of the bus that crashed last month carrying Morehouse College band students apparently died of natural causes Tuesday after a wreck in southwest Atlanta.

Ralph Marshall, 63, of Jonesboro died following a collision near Sylvan Road, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office

An autopsy performed Wednesday morning "shows no evidence of significant injury from the vehicle incident and death appears to be due to natural causes," Chief Medical Examiner Randy Hanzlick said in a statement. "Toxicology studies will be performed but results will not be available for at least several weeks."

Jesse McClardy, the former owner of the bus and father of Superior Transportation Group owner Steven McClardy, said he was told Marshall died of a heart attack.

Atlanta police were unavailable to confirm the circumstances of the incident, but Marshall was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died Tuesday afternoon.

Marshall was driving the bus to a football game in Albany the morning of Oct. 31 when it overturned on southbound I-75 in Henry County.

Thirteen of the 42 students on the bus were reported injured, but there was no report of injuries to the driver.

The charter bus and the  company it belonged to were not authorized by the state Public Service Commission to operate because of revoked insurance.

Check with AJC.com for more updates.