Failing to grasp the definition of incognito, a Kentucky man was arrested after stealing a school bus and leading area police on a high-speed pursuit. Police were alerted to a school bus moving oddly and caught up to the vehicle on the roadway. One officer claimed that the bus crossed lanes of traffic and nearly slammed into his patrol car. No matter how many attempts to get the school bus to stop, it would not be pulled over. Authorities were eventually able to run the phony bus driver, David Farley, 19, off the road. Farley decided to add more charges to his already growing rap sheet by fleeing on foot. Once police captured him, his breath reeked of alcohol, leading police to determine he was drunk. Among the many charges filed against Farley was Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition and first-degree Fleeing or Evading Police.
The stabbing death of a popular bus driver delayed school bus services at the Palm Beach County School District. Florida authorities allege that ex-boyfriend Willie Lee Smith Jr., 48, broke into the residence of Gloria Jean Riley, 53, and waited for her to arrive home. Smith then attacked and stabbed Riley to death. Riley’s body was found the following morning. Smith was arrested on first degree murder charges and booked to the county jail until arraignment. Fellow bus drivers gathered at the scene of the crime to console each other. Riley was with the district since 2001, was well-liked and considered an exemplary employee.
Indianapolis Public Schools has come under scrutiny for employing a bus fleet with multiple buses that did not pass safety inspections. During its semi-annual inspections, which are required for buses 12 years or older, Indiana State Police inspectors found a large number of violations. Over half of the 33 buses ISP inspected did not pass and an additional 11 buses were taken out of circulation for serious violations. IPS runs 150 buses in its fleet. According to reports, the violations included multiple fuel leaks, a jammed emergency door, broken and weathered tires and defects that could potentially affect the bus’ ability to stop safely. “(That) means that they’re not safe to transport students,” said State Police School Bus Safety Coordinator Sgt. Chris Kath.
In what could have been much, much worse, Florida students received a fright when their bus accelerated and would not stop. The driver slammed on the brakes several times after roaring past a number of assigned stop. Ten students were aboard at the time. One student alerted his mother to the problem. “He called and said, ‘Mom, the bus was going and it couldn’t stop,’” the mother said. “He was panicked. I could tell he was panicked.” School officials reported that the driver smelled smoke. The vehicle’s computer system then went erratic, causing the bus to speed up and preventing the driver from slowing down. The bus driver quickly reached out to a dispatcher, who told the driver what to do. The bus eventually stopped with the application of the emergency brake. It has been pulled from service while mechanics figure out the cause of the brake failure. “That could have been horrible. It really could’ve ended disastrously,” the mother said.
