SBF Incident Report Roundup: May 18, 2023

Gunmen Force Children Off School Bus Near Mexico Border

Feuding Mexican cartels briefly blocked roads on May 2 in the border city of Matamoros, Mexico, across from Brownsville, Texas. At one point, gunmen forced middle-school students off a school bus and used the vehicle as a blockade, CBS News reported. Roads were eventually cleared. The Tamaulipas state police chief reported that there was a confrontation between rival "organized crime groups." He said all children aboard the hijacked bus were unharmed.

Masked Teens Attack Student on School Bus After Attempted Shooting

Three masked teens jumped onto a Prince George's County, Maryland, school bus, targeting the last remaining student on a school bus on May 1. The teens attempted to shoot the 14-year-old, aiming a gun at his head and pulling the trigger three times. When the gun misfired all three times, surveillance video showed the teens beating the boy. After the suspects fled, the driver moved the bus to a safe area, WJLA reported.

A spokesperson for the state's attorney's office confirmed to WUSA that two teens accused in the incident are in custody and are being charged as adults. A third suspect has not been arrested.

In a statement, the associate superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools urged students and staff to report incidents when they see them occur.

The head of the local drivers' union called for more security, saying the driver and aide thought they were going to be killed.

18-Year-Old Arrested in Attack on School Bus Driver

An 18-year-old accused of attacking a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, school bus driver was arrested. Police told The Advocate that on April 25, Carlicia Lewis attacked the driver at about 5:30 p.m. Video of the attack spread widely on social media, leading a local leader to say he is considering new laws to protect school personnel.

Lewis and another person, not identified by police, were called to come to the bus after a student had an argument with the driver, police said in a statement. Lewis, along with the other person and the student who got into the argument, physically attacked the driver as she was sitting in the driver's seat of the school bus.

Police said the driver received multiple injuries to her head, neck, and shoulder area.

Lewis was charged with second-degree battery of a school bus driver and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. The investigation is ongoing. 

Authorities Searching for Parent Accused of Attacking Boston School Bus Driver

Police are looking for the parent accused of attacking a school bus driver in Boston on April 25. NBC Boston reported that the parent allegedly punched the driver and pulled a knife in front of the children who were on the bus.

The suspect, who police say is the mother of a child, is accused of assaulting the driver, punching him in the stomach, and pulling a knife.

The bus driver, who wanted to remain anonymous, spoke to NBC Boston, describing what happened. He told reporters that the attack happened in the middle of his afternoon route. He said the woman boarded the bus as soon as he opened the door, hitting the driver and pulling out a knife, before taking off.

The driver said the issues started the day before when the parent yelled at him for dropping her daughter off a few minutes late.

Police know who the woman is. As of April 26, she was not in custody, and police were still searching for her.

The driver was taken to the hospital and was later released.

On May 5, the Boston City Council held a hearing to discuss increasing collaboration between the Boston Police Department and the school district to ensure safety for students and staff.

Investigation Underway After Several School Bus Fire Incidents in Florida

The Florida state fire marshal is investigating a series of fires that happened over the course of three days involving school buses in Jacksonville, Florida. 

In the first incident on April 12, two people were injured and six school buses were charred when a fire broke out at a Student Transportation of America bus depot. News 4 Jax reported that fire crews struggled to put the fire out due to high winds, and because thetre were no hydrants nearby. Additionally, the building was filled with hazardous materials, including fuels and oils, presenting a risk of explosions.

No firefighters were injured, but wo civilians who tried to put the fire out before firefighters arrived were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The video below shows Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews battling the fire.

The following day, another company bus was damaged in a fire in another part of Jacksonville. No students were onboard at the time, and the bus driver was not seriously hurt.

The next day, five school buses at another Student Transportation of America lot caught fire. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the gate at the bus depot was left open and a suspect was caught on surveillance video on the property.

School Bus Fleet reached out to the Florida state fire marshal's office for an update on the investigation.

A Student Transportation of America spokesperson sent a statement to School Bus Fleet, saying, "We are thankful for the quick actions of first responders to extinguish the fires and will continue to work with authorities throughout their investigations."

Teens Steal Ohio School Bus, Drive it Nearly 100 Miles

Two teens are accused of stealing a school bus parked at a Coal Grove, Ohio, elementary school, and taking it on a ride. WSAZ reported that on April 7, the teens left a local juvenile facility and broke into the elementary school a few miles away, stealing items inside the school. The teens then found a key for a bus that was in the parking lot and drove it to a nearby county, nearly 100 miles away.

A school official told WSAZ that the teens were picked up by authorities the following day, and the bus was returned with no damage.

Michigan Student Safely Stops School Bus After Driver Passes Out

A seventh grade student is being hailed a hero for helping to avert an accident after his school bus driver passed out at the wheel and the boy safely brought the bus to a stop.

Thirteen-year-old Dylan Reeves was riding home from school in Warren, Michigan, on April 26 when the bus driver "became lightheaded and lost consciousness," NBC News reported. The driver can be heard getting on the two-way radio to report that they felt dizzy, before slowly losing consciousness. The student stepped to the front of the bus, bringing it to a stop without incident.

Police and fire officials responded to the scene and treated the driver. The students were moved onto another bus for the rest of their ride home, according to a statement from the district superintendent.

The video below shows the moments leading up to the teen stepping into action.

New Jersey School Bus Briefly Goes Missing

A Warren Township, New Jersey, school bus full of students briefly went missing on May 11.

CBS News reported that police began searching for the bus carrying 20 students when it did not arrive to an elementary school on time. The bus was found about an hour later in a business parking lot in a nearby town.

Authorities said the 80-year-old school bus driver was possibly experiencing a medical emergency and became disoriented and pulled into a parking lot, then crashed into a parked tractor trailer. When officers arrived on scene, the driver was still sitting in his seat, attempting to maneuver the bus. Officers boarded the bus, put it into park, and got the driver out.

School officials responded and placed the students on another bus. Police said the children were shaken up but had no serious injuries.

The bus driver, who was rushed to the hospital, worked for Fred Dealman Bus Services.