SUMTER COUNTY, FL - The driver of the school bus carrying children that was struck by a train on April 2 is now facing 29 felony counts of child neglect, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).
While investigating the scene at East Central Avenue and North Market Street in Bushnell, deputies were able to obtain the video from inside the bus at the time of the incident, WESH reported. According to the arrest report, 67-year-old Yvonne Hampton, the driver of the bus, proceeded over a railroad crossing after the warning lights had already activated and the crossing arms had begun lowering.
The report said deputies reviewed audio and video from inside the bus and that a voice believed to be Hampton's can be heard saying, "not gonna stop for no train."
Hampton told investigators that she was already moving over the tracks when the train warning system turned on, but the arrest report says video from the bus shows otherwise. On Tuesday, April 7, Hampton went before a judge on charges including culpable negligence, reckless driving, and 29 counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm.
Her bond was set at $30,000. Later that evening, she bonded out of the Sumter County Jail. Superintendent Logan W. Brown of the Sumter County School District issued a statement regarding the accident on April 2 and updated the Facebook post on April 6.
"This afternoon, one of our school buses (Bus 2517) was involved in an accident in which the rear of the bus was clipped by a train," Brown said in part. "I had the opportunity to visit the scene shortly after the incident. I am grateful to report that there were no reported injuries to any students or staff."
Hampton had been with the district for more than a decade, FOX35 reported. She was hired in 2015. She resigned from her position in lieu of termination, according to the district.
According to the video, students on the bus began to panic. A student yelled, "There is a train coming!" Hampton said, "Get in your seats." The train hit the bus seconds later, officials said. "I want to reiterate just how fortunate we are," Brown said. "When you look at the totality of this situation, we truly averted what could have been a catastrophic event."
Brown said he spoke with the train conductor, who reported seeing the bus on the tracks and sounding his horn continuously as he approached the crossing and attempted to brake. Students in the crash said they're thankful the crash didn't turn out worse than it did.
"I closed my eyes as hard as I could before that, and I’m thankful that nothing really bad happened, but it could’ve been way worse," Isabelle Sinibaldi said. "…I was crying because I was scared. I was glad that I wasn’t dead. But I was also crying because I couldn’t move."
Another student, Catherine Pharis, said, "I was in shock. I was scared because all I could feel was the bus moving to the side." Of the five railroad crossings in Bushnell, this crossing at East Central Avenue does not have red lights, Brown said, adding that the crossing provides limited space for a bus once the crossing has occurred.
Following the crash, the district determined that the crossing is no longer safe for student transportation and has eliminated that intersection for bus routes.
While investigating the scene at East Central Avenue and North Market Street in Bushnell, deputies were able to obtain the video from inside the bus at the time of the incident, WESH reported. According to the arrest report, 67-year-old Yvonne Hampton, the driver of the bus, proceeded over a railroad crossing after the warning lights had already activated and the crossing arms had begun lowering.
The report said deputies reviewed audio and video from inside the bus and that a voice believed to be Hampton's can be heard saying, "not gonna stop for no train."
Hampton told investigators that she was already moving over the tracks when the train warning system turned on, but the arrest report says video from the bus shows otherwise. On Tuesday, April 7, Hampton went before a judge on charges including culpable negligence, reckless driving, and 29 counts of neglect of a child without great bodily harm.
Her bond was set at $30,000. Later that evening, she bonded out of the Sumter County Jail. Superintendent Logan W. Brown of the Sumter County School District issued a statement regarding the accident on April 2 and updated the Facebook post on April 6.
"This afternoon, one of our school buses (Bus 2517) was involved in an accident in which the rear of the bus was clipped by a train," Brown said in part. "I had the opportunity to visit the scene shortly after the incident. I am grateful to report that there were no reported injuries to any students or staff."
Hampton had been with the district for more than a decade, FOX35 reported. She was hired in 2015. She resigned from her position in lieu of termination, according to the district.
According to the video, students on the bus began to panic. A student yelled, "There is a train coming!" Hampton said, "Get in your seats." The train hit the bus seconds later, officials said. "I want to reiterate just how fortunate we are," Brown said. "When you look at the totality of this situation, we truly averted what could have been a catastrophic event."
Brown said he spoke with the train conductor, who reported seeing the bus on the tracks and sounding his horn continuously as he approached the crossing and attempted to brake. Students in the crash said they're thankful the crash didn't turn out worse than it did.
"I closed my eyes as hard as I could before that, and I’m thankful that nothing really bad happened, but it could’ve been way worse," Isabelle Sinibaldi said. "…I was crying because I was scared. I was glad that I wasn’t dead. But I was also crying because I couldn’t move."
Another student, Catherine Pharis, said, "I was in shock. I was scared because all I could feel was the bus moving to the side." Of the five railroad crossings in Bushnell, this crossing at East Central Avenue does not have red lights, Brown said, adding that the crossing provides limited space for a bus once the crossing has occurred.
Following the crash, the district determined that the crossing is no longer safe for student transportation and has eliminated that intersection for bus routes.
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