ATHENS, Texas — The Athens City Council on Monday took steps to improve safety at the railroad crossing where a 2019 bus crash involving a train caused the death of a middle school student happened.
According to a statement from the city of Athens, the council voted in favor of Mayor Aaron Smith submitting a letter rejecting Union Pacific Railroad's proposal to close Cream Level Road.
In 2019, Christopher Bonilla, 13, a seventh-grader at Athens Middle School, was killed and a 9-year-old student was injured after the Athens ISD bus they were riding was struck by a train at that crossing.
Bus driver John Franklin Stevens, of Mabank, was later charged with criminally negligent homicide and injury to a child. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the trial is currently set to begin this October. A Federal Railroad Administration report states the bus driver’s failure to stop caused the crash.
City of Athens Public Information Officer Michael Hannigan said in a statement there have been ongoing efforts with Union Pacific, the city of Athens and the Texas Department of Transportation to make that crossing safer.
By sending the rejection letter, Hannigan said TxDOT can continue with a plan to install safety gates and warning lights at the Cream Level Road railroad crossing.
Hannigan said the city denied closing the intersection because it would cause more safety issues for the area, such as creating a long one way road and difficulties for emergency vehicles to turn around when needed.
"Monday's action is just the latest in what has been a lengthy undertaking of trying to make that intersection safer," Hannigan said. "It has been a complicated process because it involves not only the city, but also the Union Pacific Railroad and TxDOT."
TxDOT Tyler District spokesperson Jeff Williford said TxDOT crews will be installing the crossing arms using TxDOT funding, but there is currently no set installation date at this time.