School Bus Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

January 2024: SBF Accident Report Roundup

A roundup of crashes involving school buses, including: woman facing charges after hitting student unloading school bus, student injured when school bus and car collide, and school bus with students onboard hits home.

Christy Grimes
Christy GrimesFormer Senior Editor
January 8, 2024
January 2024: SBF Accident Report Roundup

SBF's accident report roundup includes details on some of the latest crashes involving school buses.

Photo: Canva/School Bus Fleet

3 min to read


As students return to the classroom to kick off the second half of the 2023-24 school year, several accidents involving school buses have made headlines, including:

  • Massachusetts woman faces drunk driving charge after striking student getting off school bus.

  • Wisconsin student injured when school bus, car collide.

  • School bus with students onboard hits North Carolina home.

Ad Loading...

Massachusetts Woman Faces Drunk Driving Charge After Striking Student Getting Off School Bus

A woman is facing charges after authorities said she hit a student unloading a school bus in Haverhill (Mass.) at an intersection on Jan. 4. The 9-year-old child was critically injured in the crash and was airlifted to an area hospital.

A judge ordered Tiffany Zembower be held on $25,000 bail at her arraignment in Haverhill District Court the following day, according to NBC 10 Boston. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf. Footage from inside the school bus showed the bus driver honking the horn to warn the pickup truck.

Prosecutors said witnesses believed Zembower was traveling at about 40-50 mph and did not slow for the stopped bus.

The bus had its mechanical stop sign deployed and its red warning lights on, according to the police report. Witnesses described the child being thrown at least six feet in the air.

In a letter to families and staff, Haverhill Public Schools said the student attends Pentucket Lake Elementary School.

Ad Loading...

Family members of the victim, who identified him as Yonis Rodriguez, said he has severe trauma to his head, internal bleeding, and several broken bones.

According to WCVB, Zembower is charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating under the influence of liquor with negligent operation and serious injury, failure to stop for a school bus, and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, second offense.

Prosecutors said Zembower's license was suspended and that she had more than a dozen tickets for speeding and failure to stop or yield. Police said she was convicted of an operating under the influence charge in New Hampshire in August 2022.

Among the conditions of Zembower's release are that she not drive and not drink; she will wear an alcohol monitoring device.

Wisconsin Student Injured When School Bus, Car Collide

Milwaukee (Wis.) Police are investigating a crash that injured a student during the morning route on Jan. 8. Authorities said that the bus was making a left turn when it was struck by a vehicle that was traveling at a high rate of speed.

Ad Loading...

According to Milwaukee Fox6 News, the child was transported to a hospital with non-fatal injuries.

The driver of the car, a 31-year-old, was extricated from the vehicle and taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The crash investigation is ongoing.

School Bus with Students Onboard Hits North Carolina Home

A school bus carrying eight students ran into an Alamance County (N.C.) home after its driver had a medical episode behind the wheel. The crash happened on Jan. 5 during the morning route.

The Alamance-Burlington School System reported to WGHP that when the driver had a medical episode, the bus ran off the road, side-swiped the front porch of a home, and came to a rest in the front yard.

Ad Loading...

The school district said that the bus was an exceptional children's bus and that in addition to the students, an assistant and driver were onboard. Both the assistant and driver were taken to the hospital.

None of the students were injured and they were taken to school or picked up by family members at the scene.

More Safety

School Bus Fleet’s The Route graphic featuring two people alongside the text, “The Secret to Better Bus Driver Training (It’s Not the Curriculum),” sponsored by IC Bus.
Sponsoredby Amanda HuggettSeptember 15, 2026

How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program

Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.

Read More →
Graphic showing a yellow school bus behind a shattered-glass effect with the text, “Fatal Accident in a Bus Lot & Students Struck Near Bus Stops, Sept. 8–9, 2026.”
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsSeptember 13, 2026

Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured

Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.

Read More →
A female school bus driver in bus driver's seat speaking on radio with an inset of female with headphones looking at two monitors and buses in the background
SponsoredSeptember 8, 2026

When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving

From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Firefighters spray water on a smoking Marietta City Schools school bus during a fire response drill.
Safetyby Amanda HuggettSeptember 8, 2026

What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help

School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.

Read More →
Graphic promoting Geotab’s new fleet investigation tool, featuring a screenshot of the MyGeotab platform showing an incident timeline, vehicle activity, and mapped route data.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 1, 2026

Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents

Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.

Read More →
Student-created poster titled “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” shows a yellow school bus at a crosswalk, students waiting nearby, and school bus safety reminders about stopping, school zones, safe pickup and drop-off, and buckling up.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseAugust 31, 2026

Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest

Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Cover of a Pro-Vision whitepaper titled “Doing More With Less: A Transportation Director’s Guide to Managing Safety Budget Uncertainty,” featuring school buses, a school transportation scene, and safety technology imagery.
SponsoredAugust 27, 2026

Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty

With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.

Read More →
A Gatekeeper Systems camera mounted on the side of a school bus.
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsAugust 26, 2026

Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System

The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.

Read More →
Avigilon camera installation at Hamilton Township School District, New Jersey, with text reading "How to Build a More Secure School Bus Yard."
Safetyby Elora HaynesAugust 25, 2026

How To Build a More Secure School Bus Yard During and After Hours

As thefts and overnight security threats continue, school transportation leaders are combining stronger operational practices with AI-enabled surveillance to better protect buses, facilities, and staff.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic featuring FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Steve Dowling alongside the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration logo and U.S. Department of Transportation seal.
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsAugust 20, 2026

FMCSA Names New Chief Safety Officer: What School Bus Operators Should Know

Steve Dowling is set to lead the federal agency's efforts to advance commercial motor vehicle safety and reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries on the nation's roadways.

Read More →