School bus driver banned after Paterson accident with 12 students on board
By Jayed Rahman
Published: June 28, 2019
The city’s school district has “terminated” a school bus driver, who crashed into a fire inspection vehicle after allegedly failing to halt at a stop sign with 12 students on board, according to municipal and school officials.
“The driver has been terminated from working in the Paterson Public School District,” said Paul Brubaker, spokesman for the school district, on Thursday.
Driver for East Orange-based F&A Transportation had 12 students from the Urban Leadership Academy on the bus at 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, when the crash took place at the intersection of Bridge and Tyler Street.
None of the students were hurt in the accident.
Public safety director Jerry Speziale said the driver of the fire inspection vehicle was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center for treatment. He said the driver did not sustain major injuries in the incident.
Police determined the bus driver was at fault. Speziale said the driver of the bus has not been issued any summonses.
School officials began using F&A Transportation, a firm that earlier in the year was involved in a crash in Newark. In February, one of the company’s employees, transporting 12 students, crashed into a tree. The driver had allegedly overdosed on heroin and had to be revived using Narcan.
“I warned the district about this company,” said school board member Emanuel Capers, who aggressively targeted school bus companies for putting students at risk over the years. “They have bad drivers.”
At the time Capers cited the Newark accident to make his case to school officials.
Capers said the district should cease doing business with the company. He also suggested the district lodge a complaint with state authorities to investigate the company.
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