Drugs, alcohol not a factor in fatal N.J. bus crash

CHESTERFIELD, N.J. — Drugs or alcohol were not a factor in a fatal crash here in February between a dump truck and a school bus, CBS reports.

The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Chesterfield Township Police Department said last week that laboratory analysis of blood samples taken from 38-year-old truck driver Michael Caporale and 66-year-old bus driver John Tieman show no traces of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Officials said Tieman’s results indicated that he was on prescription medications, but the levels would not have impaired his ability to operate the bus at the time of the accident.  

As SBF previously reported, criminal charges are a possibility in the crash, but CBS reports that the prosecutor’s office will not make a final decision about filing the charges until the National Transportation Safety Board issues its final report.

In the wake of this latest development comes news that the parents of a child killed in the crash are suing the bus and trucking companies involved, according to The Inquirer.

The crash killed 11-year-old triplet Isabelle Tezsla. Her parents, Anthony and Susan Tezsla, said that the accident resulted from negligence on the part of the companies and their drivers.

State police cited both drivers for offenses, including failing to yield and not properly securing a load. The trucking company was also cited for not properly maintaining the truck brakes and for overloading the vehicle.

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