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School bus driver charged in fatal Idaho crash

Debra Boatwright is charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the Kuna, Idaho, crash that killed an 11-year-old school bus passenger in December. The Idaho State Police's investigation found that the bus driver failed to yield the right of way to a dump truck, which struck the rear passenger side of the bus.

Thomas McMahon
Thomas McMahonExecutive Editor
April 30, 2014
1 min to read


KUNA, Idaho — The school bus driver in the fatal Kuna crash in December has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, authorities said on Tuesday.

According to the Idaho State Police's investigation, school bus driver Debra Boatwright, 56, was transporting 12 elementary school students near Kuna on Dec. 5. After stopping at a stop sign, the bus proceeded eastbound into a rural intersection, where a dump truck headed northbound — for which there was no stop sign — struck the rear passenger side of the bus.

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"The investigation concluded that Boatwright failed to yield the right of way to [dump truck driver Charles] Derby when she pulled away from the stop sign and into the intersection," Idaho State Police officials said in a press release.

Sixth-grader Daniel Cook was sitting in the 11th row of the bus when the collision occurred. The 11-year-old died at the scene.

Four other children on the bus were injured and were transported to area hospitals.

The case was referred to the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. On Tuesday, the county prosecutor charged Boatwright with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

The maximum penalty for that misdemeanor in Idaho is one year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine, as well as a license suspension for a time determined by the court. Boatwright will have to appear in court on or before June 5.

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