Driver in Cole County bus crash pleads not guilty

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The driver who fell asleep and crashed a bus in Cole County pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a Cole County courtroom. 

ABC 17 News was at the scene of the crash on July 14th, 2022.

Thomas Babbitt was driving a charter bus owned by White Knight Limousine when it crashed on July 14, according to official reports. He fell asleep at the wheel right after 2:30 a.m., the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported. The bus veered off of the side of Highway 54 in Cole County and hit a shed, a house and a fence.

The bus was carrying a group of adults and children from Immanuel Lutheran School. Fourteen people were taken to the hospital after the crash.

Babbitt was charged with careless driving and not wearing a seat belt. His attorney waived Tuesday's arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on both charges. Babbitt was not present in court.

A judge set the next hearing for Dec. 20.