Indiana Church Bus Driver Charged in Crash That Killed 6-Year-Old Boy

The driver behind the wheel of a church bus crash that left a 6-year-old boy dead in Gary, Indiana will face charges.

Charles Goodman, 53, of Gary, was charged Thursday with reckless homicide and driving while suspended. The reckless homicide charge is a level 5 felony and carries an advisory penalty of three years, according to NBC Chicago's affiliate WTHR.

If convicted, Goodman could face a possible term of one to six years.

Jacob Williams, 6, was the only fatality reported when the church bus carrying 10 members of a Gary congregation rolled over on Interstate 70 Tuesday afternoon. The crash injured seven others.

Williams was ejected from his seat in the crash and pronounced dead on the scene by the Hancock County Coroner.

The passengers on the bus were a group from St. Jude Deliverance Center who were traveling to a youth convention in Dayton, Ohio at the time.

The reason Goodman lost control of the bus is still unknown, but upon further investigation police discovered the man was operating on a suspended license and had an active warrant out for his arrest at the time of the accident.

The arrest warrant was issued out of Lake County, Indiana for failing to appear in court on a prior traffic offense, police said.

Since 1998, police have cited Goodman five times for driving without a valid license, WTHR learned, and his most recent valid license issued by Illinois expired nine years ago.

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