SchoolBus logo in red and orange
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

No New Trial for Motorist in Hit-and-Run School Bus Crash

The Pennsylvania motorist will not receive a new trial after he was convicted in a crash that caused a school bus carrying more than a dozen students to tip over.

April 17, 2019
No New Trial for Motorist in Hit-and-Run School Bus Crash

James Irvin III will not receive a new trial after he was convicted in a crash that caused a school bus carrying more than a dozen students to tip over. Photo courtesy Lancaster County district attorney's office

2 min to read


James Irvin III will not receive a new trial after he was convicted in a crash that caused a school bus carrying more than a dozen students to tip over. Photo courtesy Lancaster County district attorney's office

LANCASTER, Pa. — A motorist here will not receive a new trial after he was convicted in a hit-and-run crash that caused a school bus carrying more than a dozen students to tip over two years ago.

As SBFpreviously reported, James Irvin III was sentenced in August 2018 to a prison term of five to 20 years. He was convicted of 68 charges, including aggravated assault and hit-and-run, in connection with the May 2017 crash in East Lampeter Township.

Ad Loading...

Judge Howard Kinsley reportedly said that Irvin showed “no regard” for anyone on the road when he drove 71 mph, while accelerating, during an illegal pass that caused a chain-reaction crash, in which a school bus with 14 Lancaster Mennonite School students tipped onto its side. A 6-year-old student was pinned under the bus and sustained a fractured clavicle, a lacerated spleen, and rib fractures, while another student, 16, sustained a fractured vertebra, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania Superior Court denied Irvin’s request for a new trial, and wrote in a 10-page opinion report, according to the district attorney's office, that if it weren’t for Irvin’s reckless driving and illegal passing, none of the injuries would have happened.

The court also wrote in the report that Irvin “put his punctuality ahead of the safety of everyone else on the road that day,” and knew of the risk of collision and potential serious injury when he broke the speed limit by 30 mph and passed in an opposing traffic lane while attempting to overtake an 86-foot long tractor-trailer. Irvin, however, claimed that there wasn’t enough evidence to support a conviction of aggravated assault.

More Safety

Fatal School Bus Accident in New York graphic dated Jan. 29, 2026, showing a close-up of a yellow school bus with cracked-glass overlay and School Bus Fleet logo.
Safetyby StaffFebruary 3, 2026

New York 5-Year-Old Killed by School Bus, Investigation Ongoing

A Rockland County child was struck by their school bus late last week. Here's what we know so far about this and other fatalities and injuries in the area over the years.

Read More →
A red, orange and yellow graphic with anti-pinch door sensor products and text reading "Maine's New Mandate: Anti-Pinch-Sensors & Bus Safety."
Safetyby Elora HaynesJanuary 29, 2026

Prevent School Bus Dragging Incidents: Anti-Pinch Door Sensors and Maine’s New Mandate

As Maine becomes one of the first states to require anti-pinch door sensors on new school buses, manufacturers like Mayser offer a look at how the technology works and why it's a critical fail-safe.

Read More →
SponsoredJanuary 29, 2026

8 Ways To Simplify and Streamline School Bus Fleet Operations

What if your fleet technology actually worked together? Learn eight practical strategies to integrate multiple systems into one platform, unlocking clearer insights, stronger safety standards, and smoother daily operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
an illustration of a survey on a mobile phone with a hand on it, and the words Survey Says on it
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseJanuary 28, 2026

Survey: Most Parents Want Automated Enforcement on School Buses

A recent Verra Mobility survey reports that 82% of parents support safety cameras to penalize stop-arm violators and 70% favor automated enforcement in school zones.

Read More →
Image of an extended stop-arm with text reading "School Bus Safety: Funding Provides Bus Upgrades Across Ohio."
Safetyby StaffJanuary 27, 2026

State Grant Program Advances School Bus Safety Upgrades Across Ohio

$10 million in state grants will fund safety upgrades and new features on school buses serving students across the Buckeye State.

Read More →
A white Waymo vehicle waits at a crosswalk as a family crosses.
Safetyby StaffJanuary 26, 2026

Waymo Scrutiny Intensifies as NTSB Launches Investigation

After complications in multiple cities when self-driving taxis failed to stop for school buses, the NTSB joins NHTSA in a probe to determine what's behind the tech and related safety concerns.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Transportant stop arm camera shown on an orange “new product” graphic with School Bus Fleet branding.
SafetyJanuary 20, 2026

Transportant Debuts First Full-Color Stop Arm Camera for School Buses

Transportant introduced a next-generation stop arm camera designed to improve image quality and reliability for documenting illegal school bus passings.

Read More →
SponsoredJanuary 19, 2026

3 New Ways Fleet Software Pays: ROI opportunities for modern fleet managers

Keeping buses safe, reliable, and on schedule requires more than manual processes. This eBook explores how modern fleet software supports school transportation teams with automated maintenance scheduling, smarter video safety tools, and integrated data systems. Discover practical ways fleets are reducing breakdowns, improving safety, and saving valuable staff time.

Read More →
An image of a student with a backpack walking with text reading "Walking School Bus: Grant Fuels Safer Pedestrian Routes to School in New Mexico."
Safetyby Elora HaynesJanuary 15, 2026

New Mexico District Receives $2.7M Grant to Expand Walking School Bus Programs

See how a federal grant will help Albuquerque Public Schools expand supervised walking routes and improve student safety.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration showing a school bus with a standard stop arm and a deployed retractable safety barrier extending across the roadway to block passing vehicles.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseJanuary 13, 2026

Florida Inventor Creates Retractable 10-Foot Stop-Arm

A newly developed school bus safety device introduces a retractable barrier designed to deter illegal passing during student loading and unloading.

Read More →