New Jersey School District Settles for Nearly $20M in 2018 Crash

The Paramus (N.J.) Public Schools reached a settlement of about $20 million with relatives of victims of a 2018 collision between a school bus and dump truck that killed a student and teacher.

The family of Miranda Vargas, 10, is set to receive $7 million. The family of Asher Majeed, critically injured in the wreck, will get $12.5 million, according to NJ.com.

“My clients were pleased to have settled these two tragic cases after five years of litigation,” attorney Bruce Nagel told NJ.com.

The accident happened May 17, 2018. As School Bus Fleet reported at the time, the collision with a Mendez Trucking dump truck tore away the bus undercarriage and left the vehicle body on its side in the median. The bus, with 50 students aboard, had been one of three on a field trip to Waterloo Village from East Brook Middle School in Paramus.

The bus driver, Hudy Muldrow Sr., was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2020.

That crash led to legislation requiring seat belts on school buses in New Jersey.