Wylie ISD Bus Driver Arrested After Fatal I-20 Crash Near Abilene

Reported October 24, 2026

Fatal Reported

A Wylie ISD school bus driver was arrested after a fatal early-morning collision on Interstate 20 in Taylor County that left a pedestrian dead, according to an arrest affidavit cited by KTXS. The incident occurred around 2:45 a.m. on October 17, 2026, near mile marker 275 on I-20, not far from Abilene, the seat of Taylor County in West Texas.

What the Arrest Affidavit Alleges

According to the affidavit, a truck struck the pedestrian first, knocking him to the ground. About three seconds later, the Wylie ISD school bus struck the same pedestrian, according to KTXS. The affidavit identifies the bus driver as John De La Garza and the pedestrian as Matthew Joeckel.

Investigators allege that De La Garza had a cellphone mounted near the steering wheel and appeared to be watching a video on it just before the bus struck Joeckel, the affidavit says. After the collision, KTXS reports that De La Garza stopped, looked around the front of the bus for about 30 seconds, and then drove away without calling emergency services or going back to check on Joeckel. The decision to leave rather than render or summon aid forms a key part of the allegations against him.

• Alleged Distracted Driving: The affidavit states the driver appeared to be watching a video on a mounted cellphone near the steering wheel, which investigators allege contributed to the collision.
• Sequence of Events: A truck struck the pedestrian first, and the school bus then struck him roughly three seconds later, according to the affidavit.
• Alleged Failure to Render Aid: After stopping briefly, the driver is alleged to have left the scene without contacting emergency services or checking on the victim.
• Arrest and Affidavit: An arrest affidavit has been filed in connection with the incident, and the driver has been taken into custody, per KTXS reporting.

The Location and Why It Matters

Interstate 20 is one of the primary east-west freight and travel corridors across Texas, running through cities including Abilene, Midland, and Dallas. The Taylor County stretch near Abilene sees a steady mix of commercial trucks, passenger vehicles, and school or transit buses, particularly during overnight hours when long-haul traffic is heavy. Mile marker 275, where this collision allegedly occurred, sits on a rural segment of the freeway where lighting is limited and visibility at 2:45 a.m. can be poor, making pedestrians on or near the roadway especially difficult to spot.

Pedestrian fatalities on Texas interstates tend to cluster around situations where a person is on or near travel lanes, whether after a breakdown, an earlier crash, or other circumstances. When multiple vehicles are involved in striking the same pedestrian in quick succession, as the affidavit describes here, the sequence can make fault and legal responsibility a complex matter for investigators to untangle. Texas law generally requires any driver involved in a collision resulting in injury or death to remain at the scene and contact emergency services, and failure to do so can result in serious criminal charges separate from any underlying negligence.

Distracted Driving on Texas Roads

Cellphone use behind the wheel has been one of the most documented contributing factors in Texas crashes over the past decade. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reported that distraction-related crashes claimed hundreds of lives annually in recent years, and the problem is not limited to passenger cars. For example, commercial vehicle operators and school bus drivers are held to heightened standards precisely because the consequences of inattention at speed are amplified when operating a large, heavy vehicle. A moment’s distraction, like watching a short video clip, can mean traveling the length of a football field without eyes on the road at highway speeds.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) consistently identifies manual, visual, and cognitive distraction as the three overlapping categories that make phone use while driving so hazardous, and watching video engages all three simultaneously. Texas passed a statewide ban on handheld cellphone use while driving in 2017, and school bus operators are subject to additional federal and state regulations restricting phone use. When those standards are alleged to have been violated, especially in a fatal collision involving a vehicle designed to carry children, investigations tend to be thorough and the legal exposure significant.

• Texas Hands-Free Law: State law prohibits holding or using a cellphone while driving, with school bus drivers subject to additional restrictions under federal commercial vehicle rules.
• Duty to Remain at the Scene: Texas law requires drivers involved in crashes causing injury or death to stop, render reasonable aid, and notify emergency services, and leaving without doing so is a separate criminal offense.
• Overnight Freeway Hazards: Dark, rural interstate segments carry elevated risk for pedestrian fatalities because limited lighting and higher speeds reduce the time drivers have to react to people on or near the roadway.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Charges Could the Bus Driver Face

The arrest affidavit does not specify final charges in the KTXS report, but Texas law provides for serious felony charges in cases involving a fatal collision combined with an alleged failure to stop and render aid. The alleged distracted driving could factor into any negligence or criminal negligence finding as the investigation continues.

Is the Wylie ISD School District Under Investigation

The KTXS report focuses on the arrest of the individual driver. No details about a broader district investigation are provided in the available reporting, though school districts in Texas are typically required to cooperate with law enforcement in cases involving district employees and district vehicles.

Why Was the School Bus Operating at 2:45 a.m.

The source article does not explain why the Wylie ISD bus was on Interstate 20 at that hour. School districts sometimes operate buses for extracurricular trips, athletic events, or other overnight travel, but any details about the purpose of the trip have not been reported by KTXS at this time.