Hays CISD pushes bus safety upgrades as deadly crash driver becomes eligible for parole

Editor's note: The video above is previous coverage from March 28, 2024. AUSTIN (KXAN) - The man convicted in a deadly Hays CISD school bus crash that killed two people and injured dozens of students is now eligible for parole, prompting frustration and renewed grief across the district. “We're not whole yet. We're not healed as a community," said Tim Savoy, spokesperson for Hays CISD. Forty-five-year-old Jerry Hernandez was sentenced to prison after crashing into a Hays CISD school bus in 2023, killing two people — including a five-year-old pre-K student — and leaving many others hurt. Now, just two years later, Hernandez has reached his parole eligibility date. During a school board meeting on Monday night, Hays CISD leaders discussed ongoing efforts to improve student safety following the crash. Those measures include upgrading radio communication systems and plans to replace older buses with new models equipped with seatbelts. “We probably will never know whether a seatbelt would have made a difference or not in this accident. But nonetheless, we heard the community and as a measure of additional safety, they wanted seatbelts on all of our busses. So we immediately went into a plan to accelerate replacing our bus fleet, with buses that all have seatbelts," said Savoy. While district leaders continue working on safety upgrades, news of Hernandez’s parole eligibility has been difficult for families and staff still coping with the tragedy. “It's very fresh. It's very raw and to find out the person responsible for it may be able to walk away from it this soon. That was just too frustrating and too surprising for us not to respond," said Savoy The district sent a letter to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice urging officials to deny Hernandez parole. Criminal defense attorney Gene Anthes said eligibility simply means an inmate’s case can be reviewed by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. “Even though I think he got an 18 year sentence because of what he was convicted of, he comes up for parole relatively quickly and that is just an eligibility date that does not mean he's going to get parole," said Attorney Gene Anthes. Anthes added that, based on the severity of the crash and circumstances surrounding the case, the likelihood of Hernandez being granted parole appears low. “You know, killed two people, injured numerous other people. I'm very doubtful that he would actually get parole," said Anthes. State officials say the parole review process typically begins about six months before an inmate’s eligibility date. During that time, a parole officer reviews the case, interviews the offender and prepares a summary for the parole board. The board generally votes shortly before the eligibility date, though it remains unclear when a final decision will be made in Hernandez’s case. District leaders say they hope the system ultimately holds Hernandez accountable. “If he’s eligible, the odds of him getting out are not zero,” Savoy said. “We hope the system in Texas holds him responsible.”