Grainy footage taken from a New Jersey Department of Transportation traffic camera situated above Route 80 shows the events that led to a school bus engaged in a field trip veering across three lanes of traffic and being struck by a dump truck, reported USA Today.
A student, 10-year-old Miranda Vargas, and teacher Jennifer Williamson-Kennedy, 51, were killed during the May 17 crash. The video appears to be taken from at least a half-mile away from the crash scene and the impact is barely discernible. But the video does show the school bus merge onto Route 80, then make a hard turn left across oncoming traffic right before it is struck by the dump truck.
The school bus driver, Hudy Muldrow, Sr., is charged with two counts of death by auto for allegedly causing the crash. But the report said Muldrow has not been charged with assault by auto for the 42 other injuries to students and teachers.
The crash led to New Jersey enacting a law over the summer to upgrade its existing school bus seat belt law, to require three-point seat belts by early next year. Before the law went into effect, the Paramus School Board approved the adoption of the lap-shoulder restraints.
USA Today and its subsidiary, NorthJersey.com, sued for access to the video over the summer, but were denied by the State of New Jersey. USA Today said the recording was released on the order of state Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson following a lawsuit by Gannett Co., the parent company of NorthJersey.com.
