School Bus Driver Charged in Fatal Georgia Crash

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A school bus driver here has been charged in a recent crash in which a 6-year-old student was fatally injured, police said.

As previously reported, a Houston County Schools bus transporting more than 30 elementary school students on Jan. 29 went off of a curve in the road and overturned. Six passengers and the driver were transported to hospitals for treatment. One of the students, 6-year-old Arlana Haynes, sustained serious injuries in the crash, and she died that night in the hospital.

The Warner Robins Police Department investigated the crash, which included conducting inspections and interviews. On Feb. 22, the department announced that school bus driver Shalita Harris, 29, has been charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving in the crash. Harris turned herself in and was taken to a county detention center.

The Warner Robins Police Department said in a press release that Harris was driving the bus, a 2000 Blue Bird, when it entered a left curve too fast, exited the roadway to the right, and rolled onto its side. Police said that Arlana Hayes, the student who later died, was ejected from the bus during the crash.

After Harris was charged, an attorney for Arlana's parents told The Macon Telegraph, “Ultimately they wanted justice for Arlana, and this [is] a step in the direction of justice.”