February 2024: SBF Incident and Crime Report Roundup

Crimes involving school buses are making headlines across America. School Bus Fleet has a roundup of recent criminal incidents, including:

• Woman arrested, accused of hitting student walking to school bus in Georgia.
• Utah school bus driver arrested after reportedly trying to meet teen for sex.
• Connecticut bus driver arrested after alleged physical altercation with student.
• Two women arrested after reportedly fighting student on North Carolina school bus.

Woman Arrested, Accused of Hitting Student Walking to School Bus in Georgia

A woman was arrested after authorities said she attempted to pass a stopped school bus and hit and killed an 8-year-old girl walking across a two-lane street to get on a Henry County (Ga.) school bus on Feb. 1.

Kaylee Andre was charged with vehicular homicide in the crash, 11 Alive Atlanta reported. She is accused of fatally striking Adalynn Pierce.

State troopers said the bus was stopped with red flashing lights, and its stop sign was activated at the front and rear.

Adalynn's mom, Ashley, spoke with 11 Alive Atlanta after the crash, saying she forgives Andre, noting that Adalynn herself would've given her grace. The mother said that Andre stayed at the crash scene and apologized profusely. 

Adalynn's organs were donated, with doctors telling her mother that more than 70 children will benefit from the donation.

On Feb. 20, Ashley joined State Sen. Rick Williams at the state capitol, advocating for the passage of Addy's Law, named in memory of her daughter. The law would mandate that any bus stop be located on the same side of the street as the entrance or exit of a school bus, 11 Alive reported.

A committee member pointed out this could lead to longer school bus routes. Instead of putting the bill up for a vote, it was sent to a planning and research committee.

A Change.Org petition for Addy's Law has garnered nearly 20,000 signatures as of Feb. 26.

Utah School Bus Driver Arrested After Reportedly Trying to Meet Teen for Sex

A school bus driver was arrested outside a Farmington (Utah) school after discovering a teen he was reportedly trying to meet with for sex was an FBI agent.

Davis School District bus driver Jordan Lee Chase was booked into the Davis County Jail for investigation of enticing a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and 10 counts of dealing in materials harmful to minors, KSL reported.

Investigator Bryan Purdy said Chase had just dropped off a sports team at a school.

Working for the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force, Purdy said he posed as a 13-year-old girl online and began receiving messages from Chase in August 2023. Authorities said Chase identified himself as a 30-year-old male and was told the female's age was 13-years-old on numerous occasions.

Chase is accused of sending more than 10 explicit videos and photos of himself over the course of several months.

Chase, who started driving a school bus in Oct. 2020, made arrangements to meet the girl after dropping off the visiting team at the school. He was observed driving by the school multiple times in his personal vehicle in an attempt to locate the minor, KSL reported, citing the police booking affidavit.

The school district released a statement, saying that it was shocked by the arrest and that the alleged behavior is counter to "everything the district represents."

Connecticut Bus Driver Arrested after Alleged Physical Altercation with Student

A Salem (Conn.) bus driver was arrested after allegedly pullling a 9-year-old boy out of his seat and dragging him to another seat outside an elementary school on Jan. 5. The driver was transporting students to a nearby daycare when the incident happened.

According to the Hartford Courant, 47-year-old Bergeline Mesidor was arrested on Feb. 8 by Connecticut State Police, charged with risk of injury to a minor and breach of peace.

Fox 61 reported that the boy told his mother he and a friend were playing by hitting each other's hat when Mesidor reportedly grabbed him by his book bag, dragged him on the floor toward the front of the bus, and sat him down in a different seat. Other students corroborated the story.

Mesidor told authorities that the only contact she had with the boy was verbal. Police said they reviewed surveillance footage, which only showed the drive from the school to daycare without incident. Video from outside the school where the student was picked up did not match Mesidor's story to police.

Salem School District Superintendent Brian Hendrickson released a statement, saying student safety is top priority, and that Mesidor was placed on leave by the district's provider. According to the district website, M&J Bus, Inc. provides student transportation for the Salem School District.

Mesidor is due to face a judge in April.

Two Women Arrested After Reportedly Fighting Student on North Carolina School Bus

Two women were arrested, accused of assaulting and threatening a student aboard a school bus in Randolph County (N.C.) school bus.

Authorities with the Randolph County Sheriff's Office told WFMY that three women boarded a school bus carrying students from Southeastern Randolph Middle School on Feb. 6 while the bus was at a bus stop. At least one of the adults is accused of physically assaulting and threatening a female student.

Octavia McRae and Shenequa Watkins were both charged with misdemeanor trespass/impeding a school bus and misdemeanor disorderly conduct on a school bus. McRae was also charged with misdemeanor simple assault. Charges were pending for the third adult.

The Randolph County School System released a statement after the alleged incident, saying the middle school administration was working with school system leadership and law enforcement to address the incident.

It's unclear what led to the alleged assault.