School Bus Driver Charged in Fatal New Jersey Crash

MOUNT OLIVE, N.J. — Criminal charges against the school bus driver who was involved in a crash last week that killed a teacher and a student were announced on Thursday.

Hudy Muldrow Sr. has been charged with two counts of reckless vehicular homicide/death by auto, according to a news release from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

As SBF previously reported, the May 17 crash occurred when one of three school buses was traveling on the highway, headed to Waterloo Village for a field trip. The collision between the bus and a dump truck ripped the undercarriage of the bus away from the body. A student and a teacher were killed, and the other 43 people aboard the bus were hospitalized. State officials said that between 1975 and 2017, Muldrow’s license was suspended 14 times, he was issued 16 driving violations for speeding, and was also cited for an improper lane change in 2010.

The investigation into the crash has found that all three of the school buses headed to the restored 19th-century town are believed to have missed the exit. The three buses apparently drove in an effort to correct their routes. One bus detached from the other two and arrived at Waterloo Village, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

After that, it is believed that Muldrow’s bus separated from the other bus, which also eventually arrived safely at the field trip destination. Soon after, Muldrow is alleged to have turned his bus to the left, apparently to try to access the official-use-only access point located between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 80.

As part of this maneuver, it is alleged, as previous reports suggested, that Muldrow turned his bus so that it was positioned in a nearly perpendicular direction in relation to the lanes on Route 80 westbound. In that area, Route 80 westbound is a three-lane highway, according to the news release. That’s when Muldrow’s bus was impacted by a dump truck that was traveling in the center lane of Route 80 westbound. The driver of the dump truck also suffered various injuries.

As a result of the crash, the Prosecutor’s Office said that Muldrow is alleged to have recklessly operated his bus, which caused the deaths of the teacher and student.

The investigation remains active, and additional charges may still be sought, according to the Prosecutor’s Office. The charges were authorized on Thursday, and Muldrow is expected to appear in court on Friday.

Muldrow’s lawyer, Matthew Reisig, said that although “this accident and its tragic consequences are a matter of considerable public interest, my client has faith in the criminal justice system and reiterates his presumption of innocence," ABC News reports.