Murfreesboro, TN : 28-year-old McMinnville man killed when his pick-up truck collided near Kittrell on Friday morning, November 18, 2016

A 28-year-old McMinnville man was killed Friday morning when his pick-up truck collided with the rear of a Rutherford County school bus near Kittrell, according to a preliminary crash report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The bus was in the process of picking up students for school around 7 a.m. Friday in the 9600 block of John Bragg Highway at Pilot Knob Road when a 2005 GMC 2KH truck driven by Marcus S. Tittsworth crashed into the rear of the bus, THP spokesman Sgt. Travis Plotzer said in a media briefing at the site of the crash.

“Pick-up truck … failed to slow or stop for school bus colliding into the rear of school bus causing both vehicles to travel onto the right shoulder before coming to a stop,” according to the report.

Tittsworth was not using a seat belt, but it would not have saved him, according to the report.

The bus was driven by Curtis R. Manus, 53, of Murfreesboro. No one was injured on the bus.

"The bus was actually in the process of loading kids," Plotzer said.

"From all indications, the warning lights were active on the bus. We are looking into what caused this crash to happen," he said, the sun may have played a factor.

No cause was given in the report. Another more complete report will be completed by the THP.

The bus involved was Bus 52, said James Evans, spokesman, Rutherford County Schools.

The 11 students on the bus were loaded onto another bus and transported to school.

Source :
Driver identified in school bus crash