Video footage from a school bus incident in Jamaica Plain has sparked concern and anger from parents and officials alike. The video shows the bus driver, Vitony Laguerre, appearing to fall asleep at the wheel moments before the bus was set in motion during dismissal time when large groups of students and staff were outside the Curley school.
Abruptly waking, Laguerre initiated movement on the bus and almost immediately swerved onto the sidewalk, striking an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with autism and a school aide. According to reports, the boy suffered a fractured femur that necessitated multiple surgeries and an extensive hospital stay, while the school aide sustained serious injuries, including damage to his left leg and shoulder.
Cynthia Davis, the boy’s guardian, expressed her devastation in a statement, emphasizing the profound danger posed by the incident and the necessity for accountability. “This frightening event almost took my child’s life. It is shocking to read the string of lies that the driver gave to the police. This should never happen. The videos don’t lie,” Davis stated. “Transdev must be held to account to protect our children and prevent this from ever happening again.”
The school aide, who was also injured, was reported to have a laceration behind his ear and other injuries. In response to the accident, a lawsuit was filed against Transdev, the company responsible for providing transportation services to Boston schools since 2013.
The incident comes on the heels of a tragic event on April 28, when 5-year-old Lens Arthur Joseph was struck and killed by a school bus in Hyde Park, shortly after exiting a bus. Following this alarming pattern of incidents, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper announced an independent investigation into Transdev’s operations.
Community members voiced their frustrations during public meetings, reporting that school buses often engage in unsafe behaviors, such as speeding and reckless driving. Officials disclosed that there are approximately 400 recorded incidents involving Boston Public School (BPS) buses every year, most of which result in minimal damage.
The lawsuit filed on Tuesday highlights that both Laguerre and a monitor on the bus were reportedly asleep when the crash occurred. Laguerre is facing serious allegations and is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Inquiries made to Transdev and the bus driver regarding the incident went unanswered.
In a recent statement, Mayor Wu acknowledged the anxiety and fear that have arisen due to the incidents involving school buses and expressed the city’s commitment to working with Transdev to implement additional safety checks. “But for the families who are grieving or for a family who has had to go through a horrible recovery over an extended period of time, that never should have happened,” Wu stated. “And we need to make sure things like that don’t happen.”
Video evidence released by the family’s lawyers shows an alarming sequence where Laguerre appears to have been napping for at least 45 seconds before lurching awake. The footage captures the bus losing control and driving onto the sidewalk, pinning the boy and the school aide against a wooden fence.
The police report disclosed that the boy was run over by the bus while the aide was pinned. Brief images depicted the aide attempting to shield the child before they disappeared from view. The bus, after smashing through the fence, ultimately halted on school grounds.
In a confusing series of statements made to law enforcement, Laguerre initially suggested that another vehicle forced him to swerve, leading to the accident. However, he later changed his story, claiming he was inadvertently activating the gas pedal while waiting with the brake engaged, before finally attributing the crash to a supposed mechanical failure.
Yet, video footage from both the interior dashcam and an exterior camera indicated that no other vehicle was involved in the incident, contradicting Laguerre’s claims. Investigators concluded that any mechanical issues with the bus stemmed from the crash rather than preexisting problems.
The lawsuit states that the child has endured immense physical and emotional distress, incurred significant medical costs, and will face ongoing challenges that will impact his quality of life.
City and school officials have not disclosed whether Laguerre is still employed in his role as a bus driver. He had been arraigned on May 7 on a misdemeanor charge of negligent operation of a vehicle, in addition to a civil infraction related to unsafe operation. Laguerre has pleaded not guilty and is planning to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on June 24.
Marc Breakstone, one of the attorneys representing the injured child’s family, criticized Transdev for what he called a systemic safety issue. “When you’re a multi-billion-dollar international company getting paid millions of dollars a year to keep the children of Boston safe, you must be held accountable. This is obviously not the first time that Transdev has hurt innocent people, but we are working to make sure it does not happen again.”
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