More than a dozen people were injured after a school bus crashed on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, reported CBS News.
The incident reportedly occurred March 10 at approximately 7:30 p.m., when the Rabbinical School bus from Lakewood was heading to New York to attend a post-wedding celebration.
According to the news report, the school bus was seen on its side facing the wrong way on the highway and skid marks were visible on a nearby embankment. There was no immediate information on what caused the school bus to overturn.
The New Jersey State Police said via the article that 15 people, including the 44-year-old bus driver, were treated for injuries. One of the passengers suffered serious injuries. Police said in a statement the 14-year-old boy is fighting for his life after he was pinned under the overturned bus.
The Woodcliff Lake Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene said Mayor Mike Ghassali in a statement on Facebook. The Montvale Volunteer Fire Department and other firefighters that assisted, lifted the bus and rescued the 14-year-old boy [that was pinned under the bus] and 28 other boys along with two adults.
The 14-year-old, who is fighting for his life, the bus driver and 13 other boys were transported to local hospitals. Their current condition is unclear at this moment.
A Mason County school bus driver was indicted after allegedly driving a bus under the influence of drugs with students on board, reported WOWK News.
The incident reportedly occurred last April, when a 911 call was placed about a school bus driver who was driving erratically and in the opposite lane with students on board. The caller also claimed that the driver made several wrong turns and was falling asleep at the wheel.
A blood analysis the police reportedly took from the bus driver, 54-year-old Leslie Watterson, revealed she had taken three different drugs that affect the central nervous system. Watterson was arrested in May of on warrants filed by West Virginia State Police.
According to the news report, Watterson was indicted March 5 on 54 counts of gross child neglect creating substantial risk of serious bodily injury and one count of DUI with minors. The three drugs in her system were identified to be Phentermine, Oxazepam and Temazepam.
A 7-year-old student was left on his school bus earlier after falling asleep, reported Fox 8.
The incident reportedly occurred March 3, when Michael Windle received a call from Coventry Local School District, informing him that his son had been left on a school bus. The child had fallen asleep and did not exit the vehicle with the other students.
Windle claimed the bus driver left and was unaware that his son was still on the bus. No one found the child immediately and he was left on the bus for about an hour unattended in 25-degree weather. Once the boy was located, he was reportedly taken to school. Windle said he was mad and angry, as any father would be.
The district said via the news report that it was grateful the student was safe and upon learning of the situation, district officials launched an investigation to determine how this occurred. The school bus driver has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Additionally, the district reportedly confirmed they have “clear procedures” in place requiring drivers to conduct “post-route checks” to ensure all students have exited the bus. They are now reviewing those safety protocols with all transportation staff to prevent a future incident similar to this one.
Windle told local news reporters the district seemed sincerely upset over the incident. The district stated they are in direct communication with the family and will provide any necessary support.
After a homeless woman died in the Eau Claire County Jail more than a year ago, Wisconsin DOJ has yet to release a report | Getty Images
Silver O. Jenkins, 29, a homeless woman, was found unresponsive in the Eau Claire County Jail on March 12, 2023. The investigation of her death was completed in August 2023 but has not been released pending a Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) review.
It is not clear why the DOJ has taken more than a year to review the death investigation and release it to the public.
The Wisconsin Examiner’s Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation
In July 2024, the Wisconsin Examiner made a record request of the death investigation to the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, the authority charged with conducting the investigation. Sheriff Scott Knudson noted the death investigation had been completed in August 2023 and had been passed on to the Eau Claire Sheriff’s Office, but he was uncertain when the DOJ obtained it.
The completed investigation was not released to the Examiner, because, Knudson said, the DOJ’s review outweighed the public interest in having the investigation released.
Knudson said there was a “balancing test” of “public interest” versus “integrity of the legal system” to “…allow the Department of Justice ample time to make a determination related to the investigation prior to the records being disclosed to the public.”
He added, “Public policy favors public safety and effective law enforcement, which is supported by the decision to deny your request at this time until the Department of Justice has completed their review of the investigation.”
In August 2024, the Examiner submitted another record request to the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office for two items:
All powerpoint presentations produced by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office which, during 2023 or 2024, were shared with and/or presented to personnel from any Wisconsin District Attorney’s Office and/or the state Department of Justice (DOJ), and which mention or are related to the March 12th, 2023, in-custody death of Silver O. Jenkins at the Eau Claire County Jail.
Any jail security camera footage relevant to the sheriff’s investigation into Silver’s death.
Like the July 2024 request, Sheriff Knudson denied the August 2024 record request based on the same justification he offered in July 2024.
In January 2025, the Examiner contacted Eau Claire County Medical Examiner Marcie Rosas for a copy of Jenkins’ autopsy report. Rosas responded via phone that the report would not be released pending the ongoing DOJ review.
Based on a July 15, 2024 email exchange between the St. Croix Sheriff’s Office and the DOJ, in July 2024, it appeared then that the DOJ review was coming to a close. The email exchange was between St. Croix County Sheriff Captain Tim Kufus and DOJ Assistant Attorney General James Kraus.
“Requests for reports are continuing to come in, when can we expect a decision from your office? We would like to fulfill the requests,” Kufus wrote about record requests on the Jenkins death investigation to Kraus.
Kraus responded, “Now that we have the policies, I hope to complete my part of the case by the end of this month (July 2024).”
Subsequently, the Examiner has submitted several email requests to the DOJ on the review status, but there has been no reply.
Silver O. Jenkins
On March 14, 2023, the Eau Claire Sheriff’s Office put out a press release about Jenkins’ death and noted that she was “…listed as homeless, was charged on February 10 for disorderly conduct and bail jumping,” and added that she was in jail on $500 cash bond and had made her first appearance in court on Feb.14.
Court records also reveal that Jenkins had also been charged with bail-jumping, a misdemeanor and that Jenkins was supposed to have a competency hearing on March 7, but on March 6, that appears to have been changed to March 16, four days after she died.
Jenkins was also cited for trespassing, disorderly conduct, and bail jumping on Jan. 31, 2023.
From 2019-2023, Silvers had been charged with several violations in Eau Claire County, mostly misdemeanors.
Circuit court records from Eau Claire County show Silver’s address as “homeless,” however earlier court records from Racine and Kenosha counties cite her address as either 618 S. Barstow Street in Eau Claire, the site of The Sojourner House, a Catholic Charities homeless shelter, or 211 Howard Avenue in Racine, an apartment building.
The Examiner has contacted Catholic Charities and other homeless shelters in Eau Claire for anyone who knew Jenkins, but so far, there have been no responses.
A Madison City Schools bus driver in Alabama was arrested after allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a student under 19 years old, reported AL News.
Police stated that 24-year-old Azaria Ashford of nearby Huntsville was arrested last Friday and charged with one count of school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19.
According to the news report, the district received information regarding the incident on Feb. 11 that Ashford allegedly exchanged inappropriate messages with several students. The school district quickly placed her on administrative leave and reported the allegations to the Madison Police Department.
The police department conducted a subsequent investigation, which resulted in the arrest of Ashford. She is no longer employed by the Madison City Schools.
Ashford was reportedly booked into the Madison County jail pending bond. The investigation is ongoing.
A fatal police shooting of an unnamed person in Fond du Lac is under investigation. | Getty Images
During a stop by law enforcement officers Monday night, Feb. 24, in the Town of Fond du Lac, a Fond du Lac County Sheriff deputy shot and killed a person the deputy believed was producing a firearm.
The person’s name has not been released, nor the name of the deputies involved with the stop.
The Wisconsin Examiner’s Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation
According to a press release by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), on Monday evening, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputies contacted someone via phone who was known to have a felony warrant.
Law enforcement also received information from a civilian that this same person appeared to have a handgun.
A short while later, deputies located the person in the 6300 block of Cherrywood Drive, near a trailer park.
The person refused to follow repeated commands, and one of the deputies discharged a non-lethal weapon. (The non-lethal weapon was not named in an official statement on the incident.)
The person then produced what deputies believed to be a firearm, and in response, a second deputy discharged a firearm at 6:22 p.m., striking the person.
Emergency medical specialists (EMS) were contacted, and law enforcement and EMS attempted life-saving measures.
The person was transported to a nearby hospital before being pronounced dead.
No members of law enforcement or other members of the public were injured during the incident.
The deputy involved in the shooting is on administrative assignment, per agency policy.
Law enforcement officers involved with the stop were wearing body cameras during the incident.
Additional details are being withheld during the investigation and will be released to the public later.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating the officer-involved shooting, assisted by Wisconsin State Patrol, the Fond du Lac Police Department, and the Village of North Fond du Lac Police Department.
When the DCI investigation concludes, it will turn over the investigative reports to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s office.
The Dover Police Department is investigating a shooting involving a teen after he was dropped off by his school bus, reported Coast News.
According to the news report, police responded to reports of gunfire on Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:35 p.m. Investigators determined that a Capital School District bus had just dropped off a group of students from Dover High School, when the accused shooter began chasing a 16-year-old boy before opening fire.
Both individuals, who were not identified at this writing, were reportedly running as shots were fired, but no one was hurt.
The article states that the school bus driver followed safety protocols and quickly left the area to protect the remaining students on board. Police later confirmed that the school bus was not struck. However, there were active threats to the school.
It was unclear why the teen was targeted. Police stated that the victim was not cooperating with detectives and had not even provided a description of the shooter.
Dover police reportedly increased its presence at Dover High School for the remainder of the week.
A driver has been arrested after he struck a New Diana Independent School District student who was crossing the road to board their school bus, reported KLTV News.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday around 6:30 a.m., when the driver of the vehicle, identified as 56-year-old Jerry Martin, did not stop for the school bus, which was stopped with its red lights flashing.
According to the news report, Martin swerved to avoid hitting the student head-on and ultimately clipped the student with the side mirror. The student’s mother was reportedly present and witnessed the incident. The student, whose identity was not disclosed at this writing, was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries.
The Texas Department of Private Safety said Martin was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was being held in the Upshur County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
A Tuscaloosa City School bus driver has been arrested after a school bus video footage shows him allegedly assaulting a student with special needs, reported WVTM News.
According to the news report, 74-year-old Samual Jones was taken into custody on Jan. 31 and charged with assault/willful abuse of a child, after a review of school bus footage revealed an incident in which Jones is seen assaulting a student.
The incident reportedly occurred on Jan. 29, when Jones stopped the bus and hit a 17-year-old student. Police stated via the article that Jones is seen in the footage striking the student multiple times with his belt while she remained in her seat.
The transportation staff immediately notified a school resource officer after watching the footage. The officer reportedly contacted the student’s mother and forwarded the evidence to the police department’s Criminal Investigation Division. A warrant was obtained that day. Jones is no longer employed by the school system.
A school bus driver in Jackson Township in Ohio is being hailed as a hero after risking his own life to save others including a dog during a house fire, reported The Washington Post.
According to the news report, 54-year-old Todd Morris, a retired police officer and current school bus driver, was heading home from a doctor’s appointment on Jan. 22, when he saw smoke rising into the sky from a house.
Temperatures that day were subzero, which closed school. Morris was in his personal vehicle when he came upon the fire.
Morris told local news reporters that as soon as he turned a corner, he saw the house of two of the children on his normal elementary school bus route on fire. He stated he knew that the students were off that day as well and probably home.
Morris stopped his car, got out and sprinted toward the house as he dialed 911. He told local news reporters that he started knocking on the door and yelling out the kids’ names.
Because there was no response, Morris said he relied on his police training and kicked in the locked door, forcing an entry into the residence. The smoke was getting heavy, but after a few minutes into his search, he found two terrified dogs.
The dogs taken outside of the home safely and Morris went back in to clear the residence. By the time the kitchen ceiling began to collapse, and the second floor was fully engulfed, Morris evacuated and the fire department showed up to put out the flames.
According to the article, residents Matt Fisher and his wife were at work when the fire broke out. Their four children were with their grandmother, who was taking care of them while school wasn’t in session.
Fisher told local news reporters that once he learned about the fire, he panicked because he knew the dogs were there. The family also had a cat, which did not survive the fire. Still, Fisher said he is grateful to Morris for saving his dogs and alerting authorities of the fire, which remained under investigation at this report.
A school district in Pennsylvania launched an investigation after one of the school buses had a sign prohibiting bus riders from speaking Spanish.
According to local news reports, there were photos circulating around social media on Friday about a Juniata County School District (JCSD) bus prohibiting students from speaking Spanish on board, “out of respect to English only students” per “owner/management.”
The district’s superintendent, Christie L. Holderman, released a statement Saturday stating that the district became aware of the inappropriate sign being displayed and confirmed officials had taken immediate and appropriate action to address the situation.
Holderman added that the district is currently investigating the incident thoroughly and they are ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to prevent something like this happening again.
In the same statement, Rohrer Bus, the district’s transportation management partner, made clear that the bus involved in the incident is owned and operated by a separate entity, whose name was not disclosed in the statement. Initial reports referencing the source of the sign as “owner/management” gave the impression that the sign was authorized by representatives of Rohrer Bus. However, company officials confirmed that the company did not “author or endorsed this statement in any way.”
“As Juniata County School District’s transportation management partner, we have been working closely with District officials to swiftly investigate,” Rohrer added.
“Such language and sentiments are entirely contrary to the company’s values and commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment for all students,” Rohrer continued. “As a precautionary measure, we have suspended the transportation provider involved pending the outcome of an investigation. We recognize the seriousness of this situation and the impact it may have on our community. Rohrer Bus is committed to taking proactive steps to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The owner of a school bus company in New Jersey was sentenced to five years in state prison for endangering students by hiring unqualified drivers, reported Shore News.
The owner of the company, Ahmed Mahgoub, was sentenced on Jan. 23, after it came to light that the company was failing to perform drug tests and conduct background checks on drivers. It was also reported that the drivers were operating unsafe vehicles.
Mahgoub, 65, owned F&A Transportation, Inc., and pleaded guilty last year to false representation for government contract. His company, which operated in multiple counties, including Essex, Passaic, Morris and Union, secured public school transportation contracts worth $3.5 million from 2016 to 2020.
According to the article, an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and the New Jersey State Police found that Mahgoub hired drivers without valid commercial licenses or criminal background checks.
Some drivers reportedly had criminal records, suspended licenses, or even substance abuse problems. In addition, Mahgoub and his company falsified vehicle inspections forms to cover up safety violations. New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission inspections in 2019 found that nearly all of the company’s buses failed.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said via the article that Mahgoub not only flouted government regulations and standards but also risked the lives of children. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mahgoub and F&A Transportation must pay $500,000 in corruption profiteering penalties and are banned from doing business with the state for 10 years.
F&A co-owner Faiza Ibrahim, 50, also reportedly entered a pretrial intervention and faces her own penalties.
A child and an elderly person were hit by a school bus in Brooklyn, New York, while crossing the street, reported PIX 11 News.
The incident reportedly took place on Friday morning at the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Buffalo Avenue in Crown Heights.
According to the news report, the 56-year-old bus driver was turning onto Buffalo Avenue when he struck the 79-year-old and 9-year-old, who were not identified at this writing. The pedestrians were crossing the street, but it was not disclosed if they were in a crosswalk or not.
Both the child and adult were rushed to a nearby hospital in unknown conditions, it is unclear if they are related. The driver reportedly stayed on the scene and no arrests were made at this time. The incident remains under investigation.
A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly exposed himself to students while they were riding a school bus home, reported ABC News.
According to the article, the incident took place on Thursday, when several students told their parents that a male was exposing himself in a car next to the bus.
Police said via the news report that one of the students submitted an anonymous tip, including a video of the incident. The male was identified as 36-year-old Freddy Richie Parisi, and the vehicle he was driving was shown on the video, including the tag number.
The parents reportedly contacted authorities immediately to report the incident and deputies launched the investigation. A detective then identified Paisi from conducting sex offender checks and worked with school resources officers to identify the other victims who witnessed the incident.
According to the news report, Parisi was arrested for five counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition and is being held at the Citrus County Detention Facility without bond.
A crash involving a Waltham school bus in Massachusetts sent six students to the hospital with minor injuries.
The Waltham Police Department released a statement via social media confirming that officers had responded to a rollover incident involving a school bus on Friday morning.
According to police, the bus was transporting students to Waltham Public Schools northbound on Lexington Street just before 8:30 a.m., when it struck a white van that was attempting to make a left turn East onto Beaver Street.
Police stated that the van rolled over onto a third vehicle on Beaver Street, that was stopped for a red light.
According to local news reports, there were 34 students and a driver from the Waltham Dual Language School on the school bus at the time of the incident. A total of 37 people, including those in the other vehicles, were involved in the crash.
Six students and the operator of the white van were transported to local area hospitals for minor injuries. Their current condition is unknown. According to the police, the incident is still under investigation to determine charges, if any.
The Norwalk Community School District in Iowa is investigating a report of a gun on a school bus, reported KCCI News.
According to the news report, district leaders said received a report of a student with a gun on one of their school bus routes. The transportation director tracked down the bus mid-route and took the student off the bus.
Investigators reportedly said the student had a BB gun and district Superintendent Shawn Holloway said the student will not be allowed on school grounds until the investigation is finished.
A man from Opelousas, Louisiana stole a school bus and then drove recklessly causing a four-way crash, reported KATC 3.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday, after a 26-year-old man escaped while being transported to a mental health facility. He then stole an unoccupied school bus and drove recklessly into oncoming traffic.
According to the news report, the man caused a crash involving four vehicles where authorities confirmed several people were moderately injured.
Authorities say via the article that the man ran from the scene and stole a truck belonging to a bystander who had stopped to help with the crash.
Police reportedly tracked the truck to the Rayne area, where the man, who was not identified in this writing, was apprehended.
The man could be facing multiple charges related to the crash. The incident remains under investigation.
A kindergartener from the Hamilton School District in Wisconsin was hit and killed by a school bus on the morning of Jan.2, just two days into the new year.
The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department released a statement confirming the death of the student amid a fatal bus incident.
According to the statement, the Waukesha County Communications Center was alerted to an incident in which a kindergartener had been struck by a school bus in the Silver Spring Intermediate School parking lot.
The bus was transporting students when the incident occurred. The Kindergartener, whose name was not disclosed at this writing, was at Silver Spring Intermediate School awaiting transfer to a shuttle bus to be taken to Willow Springs Learning Center. That’s when the school bus struck and killed the student.
Authorities say the cause of the incident is still under investigation, and the bus driver is cooperating fully with the investigation. This is a developing story.
An Amber Alert the morning of Dec. 5 notified residents of the kidnapping of three children. By 6 p.m. the alert was cancelled, reported WLBT 3.
According to the news report, the three children “were waiting for the bus,” when a black four-door vehicle pulled up to the bus stop and took the children. Authorities confirmed the reported kidnapping took place at the Bobby’s Way apartment complex in Fishersville.
The Virginia State Police said via the article that the alert was cancelled after the children were found safe. Officials said it was determined that the children’s estranged biological mother, Shanice Davidson, was responsible for their disappearance.
Police reportedly believed the children, Jai’Marcus Lewis, 10, Ja’Miyah Lewis, 8, and Ja’Liyah Lewis,6, were with Davidson, who resides in Evergreen, Alabama. Deputies said the 911 call was from the children’s other parent at about 8:27 a.m.
Davidson was described as a 35-year-old Black female, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 184 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. According to the Alabama Highway Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service, Davidson was taken into custody in Birmingham Alabama, after a brief pursuit along Interstate 495.
Davidson was reportedly arrested on abduction warrants from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. The incident remains under investigation.
A woman in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was arrested after nearly hitting a child while illegally passing a school bus.
According to a statement issued by the Plymouth Police Department, on Nov. 22 at approximately 8:45 a.m. officers received a report of a motor vehicle that had utilized the caller’s circular driveway to pass a school bus while it had its red lights activated.
A video provided by the caller clearly showed a white SUV using the driveway to pass the lawfully stopped school bus while it was picking up students. According to authorities, further review of the video showed the SUV nearly striking the caller’s 10-year-old son.
Officials state that as a result of the follow-up investigation, Plymouth Police arrested 59-year-old Brenda Mello on Nov. 29, charging her with failure to stop for school bus, reckless operations of a motor vehicle, and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.
Mello was reportedly expected to be arraigned in Plymouth Court on Wednesday.
Login
