PORT ALLEN - The driver of an 18-wheeler who drove his rig into the back of a stopped charter bus on I-10 Thursday was previously ticketed after a wreck in Texas, the WBRZ Investigative Unit learned.

The trucker was killed and three others were hurt when the semi slammed into the bus on I-10 East just before the New Bridge in West Baton Rouge.

So far, West Baton Rouge sheriff's investigators don't believe the deadly crash Thursday was the result of the driver being distracted, but investigators are working to get a warrant to search the driver's phone to confirm he was not using it.

Lt. Ken Albarez, the sheriff's office traffic supervisor, said it appears that the truck driven by 35-year-old Ricky Hagar simply could not stop in time.

Friday, a day after the crash, WBRZ confirmed Hagar's October 2021 ticket after a crash in rural Texas outside Amarillo.  Texas Highway Patrol issued a ticket for "unsafe speed" after "an accident/incident," according to a copy of the citation provided to WBRZ.

Hagar was fined $214. 

Deputies in West Baton Rouge continue to investigate the crash that killed Hagar and injured riders on the bus.  Investigators told WBRZ Friday, they expect to pull data from the truck. Traffic was at a standstill when the accident happened, destroying the truck's cabin and sparking flames.

Hagar's 18-wheeler slammed into a bus, carrying about 40 people, which hit another truck. 

Stay with WBRZ News 2 for more on this story at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.