“Horrific and Traumatic”: Shocking Video Shows Driver Asleep at Wheel Moments Before Crash; Company Transdev Also Under Investigation For Fatal Collision in April, Pattern of Safety Problems.
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 3, 2025 – Transdev North America is facing a new lawsuit filed over a school bus crash that seriously injured an eight-year-old student with autism on December 6, 2024. The incident occurred at the Curley School in Jamaica Plain when the driver veered the bus onto the sidewalk and directly into the student as he walked with a school aide. The latest lawsuit follows an independent safety review launched by the city of Boston to investigate the troubled Boston Public Schools (BPS) bus contractor’s past safety incidents, including a fatal crash in April.
The crash was captured in disturbing detail by the bus’s dashboard camera, revealing that both the bus driver and bus safety monitor were napping in their seats just moments before the driver abruptly started the bus and swerved into pedestrians standing on the sidewalk. Crash footage (sensitive content warning):
The complaint was filed in Suffolk County Court by attorneys at Sweeney Merrigan Law and Breakstone, White & Gluck. The lawsuit alleges gross negligence by Transdev and its employees, citing inadequate supervision, failure to ensure alert and competent staff, and systemic safety failures.
Cynthia Davis, the child’s guardian, said: “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. And it’s downright shameful that this school bus company has a track record of hitting and killing children all over Boston. Transdev must be held to account to protect our children and prevent this from ever happening again.”
J. Tucker Merrigan, managing partner, Sweeney Merrigan, said: “Our client is lucky to be alive today. For a bus company that is paid over $100 million annually by the city of Boston, Transdev has clearly failed its responsibility to hire, train and supervise its drivers for the safety of Boston school children. Even if this brave young man is able to physically recover, the emotional scars of this experience will never go away.”
Marc Breakstone, partner, Breakstone, White & Gluck, said: “Transdev clearly has a systemic safety problem. And 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.”
According to the police report, the bus driver made multiple false claims, including that the bus experienced a “mechanical issue (steering).” But the investigating officer found that all the mechanical issues on the school bus were a result of the crash.
The driver also claimed “as he was pulling the bus forward, a vehicle cut in front of him. In an attempt to avoid the vehicle and [the student], he turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction but mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake.” However, the dashcam video footage clearly shows there was no second vehicle. Instead, the video shows the driver inexplicably steer the bus into the direction of two pedestrians, running them over.
Disturbingly, the police report details that the investigating officer reviewing the crash footage observed the driver’s immediate reaction after the crash was to “smile and laugh about the accident and shrugs his shoulders.”
The child sustained a broken femur, resulting in complex surgery and months of in-patient hospital care and treatment. other injuries.. He continues to suffer significant post traumatic stress as a result of the crash.
In May, the city of Boston hired a former federal prosecutor to conduct an independent investigation of Transdev, after one of its bus drivers fatally struck a five-year-old boy. The Transdev driver involved in that crash not only had an expired state-required certification but was involved in two other driving incidents earlier in April and was pulled off the road for retraining less than two weeks before the deadly crash.
Sweeney Merrigan Law works to create a safer community by holding responsible parties accountable and building trust through transparent communication and unwavering support for our clients. We provide first-class legal representation, ensuring our clients’ rights are protected and their voices heard. More info at https://www.sweeneymerrigan.com/.
Breakstone, White & Gluck fights for victims of negligence and wrongdoing to ensure they have a better chance for a better future. For more than 30 years, we have relentlessly battled insurance companies, manufacturers, individuals and corporations who have harmed the lives of our clients. More info at https://www.bwglaw.com/
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