HOUSTON – We're learning new details about the tragic accident that claimed the lives of two young children on their way to school back in September.
According to autopsy reports from the medical examiner's office, the cause of death for both Mariya Johnson, 17, and Janecia Chatman, 14, was multiple blunt force injuries.
The two were riding on a Houston Independent School District bus on the 610 South Loop in September when investigators said a vehicle hit the bus, causing it to go over a guardrail and crash onto Telephone Road below.
The accident killed Johnson and Chatman, and left two others on board seriously injured.
The medical examiners offices says both Johnson and Chatman had multiple contusions and abrasions, along with several fractures throughout their bodies.
District officials said the school bus did have lap belts equipped on it, but it's unclear if any of the students were wearing them at the time.
Since the accident, the family of Mariya Johnson have filed a $1 million lawsuit against HISD and the bus manufacturer, International Truck and Engine Corporation.