Parents of Sanger ISD teen killed in bus crash search for answers amid grief
The parents of 13-year-old Julian Amador, who died when a Sanger ISD school bus overturned in Denton County, are speaking out.
They told CBS News Texas that the unimaginable loss has left them heartbroken, but what's even more difficult is not knowing what caused the crash.
"It's hard for sure. Waking up and not seeing him there or going to sleep and not being able to kiss him a good night," said Julian's mother, Brenda Lopez.
The incident happened on September 24th, just before 5 p.m. Julian's father, Emmanuel Amador, was waiting for him at the bus stop when he got the call and immediately rushed over to the scene.
"She told me that something happened, so I check his location, and actually drove it was two minutes away, and then when I got to the scene, they already had blocked the whole streets, and I kept asking for my son. They didn't say nothing," said Amador.
Julian was one of four students inside this bus when it overturned. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the bus was traveling north on Huling Road when it veered off the road, struck a culvert, and rolled over. Julian's parents want to know what happened in the moments before the accident.
"If you see the road, it's flat…it's like us playing the investigator and going out and reaching out and witnesses reaching out to us instead of investigators," said Lopez.
The bus driver has been identified as 38-year-old Jesse Padgett; however, the district has not stated whether he is still employed. DPS says the investigation is ongoing, but has not said if any charges have been filed.
As Julian's parents search for answers, they are choosing to remember him for who he was. A respectful, happy teenager who loved sports. He played football and recently started boxing.
"What's motivating us is that we don't want another parent to have to deal with what we have gone through as of today, and we want justice for our son and, you know, a parent shouldn't have to bury their child," said Lopez.