Funeral set for student who died in school bus
The funeral for the 17-year-old who died in the Carroll County school bus crash Monday has been set for Saturday.
Visitation for James Rashawn Walker begins at 3 p.m. Friday at the Walker Funeral Home in Carrollton. The service is Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton.
James, or "Ray Ray" as his friends called him, was among 14 students who were riding in a school bus from Temple High School to a nearby vocational school when the bus overturned on Highway 113 near I-20, killing him and injuring the rest of the students.
The bus was being driven by a trainee, with a trainer on board. Police are investigating, but have not determined what caused the bus to veer into a ditch.
A copy of the 911 recording obtained by cbsatlanta.com includes a conversation between the dispatcher and a man identifying himself as the driver, Kenneth Herringdine.
When asked what happened, Herringdine said, "I ran off the edge of the road," according to the TV station's report.
He told the dispatcher how many students were lying outside the bus, and added: "I got one up under the bus. And, I think he's gone."
Anyone who wants to donate money to James' family can contribute at any Bank of North Georgia location, according to county schools spokeswoman Elena Schulenburg.
She said to make the contributions to: Walker/Kidd, C/O Erica Favors, Account # 1002837910.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
