Students and staff at Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District are paying tribute to a 5-year-old boy who died in a school bus crash in Central Texas.

The crash happened on March 22 when a school bus carrying Pre-K students from Tom Green Elementary in Buda was on its way back from a field trip to the zoo.

RELATED STORY: Texas school bus with over 40 pre-K students struck by cement truck, killing 2, authorities say

The bus was hit by a cement truck just outside of Austin, where Ulises Rodriguez Montoya was killed.

Hays Consolidated Independent School District says the bus didn't have seatbelts because it was an older model. In 2017, a state law began requiring all school buses to have seatbelts for every passenger.

Edcouch-Elsa ISD bus drivers wore green as they got ready to pickup students Thursday morning. 

"It's tragic you know, it's tragic because some of these accidents can be prevented," EEISD bus driver Raul Ramos said. "It's sad because you think of the kids you carry on your bus too, because they're small, and you just don't want that to happen to you."

Ramos says in the more than two decades he's been on the road, he always sees the same problem, distracted drivers.

"Sometimes we are loading or unloading students and either they don't see or don't pay attention and pass on by, and it's hard," Ramos said.

Police in Central Texas say the driver of the cement truck was heading in the opposite direction when it swerved into the lane, hitting the school bus. The bus rolled over and landed on its side. The crash remains under investigation.

"Our bus drivers get trained at the beginning of the school year on bus safety, evacuations in case of an accident," EEISD Interim Director of Transportation Paula Alfaro said. "We ask the drivers to let the students know your buses have seatbelts, use them."

Alfaro says safety is their top priority every time they get behind the wheel.

School leaders have a message to drivers, respect the rules of the road, especially when there are school buses or emergency vehicles on the road.