Yuma school bus driver arrested on 40+ counts of endangerment
Students say driver intentionally slammed on brakes - 21 report injury
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Police Department (YPD) has arrested a local school bus driver on 44 counts of endangerment, 21 counts of assault, and one count of false reporting.
YPD says on Thursday, September 23, 41-year-old Nona Scott was driving an after-school route on a bus carrying 44 students. Students claim Scott pulled into the private driveway of the Vincent Scott Vista at S. Avenue A and W. 20th Street. They say the bus was driving through the parking lot when she suddenly slammed on the brakes. Police say the brake check sent most of the students flying into the seats in front of them. 21 children reported injuries.
YPD says Scott claimed something ran in front of the bus, forcing her to brake. Officers say that wasn't true. They've charged her with false reporting in addition to endangerment, and assault.
Sgt. Lori Franklin, public information officer for YPD, tells KYMA.com the students involved were from a Yuma School District One, but declined to specify which school the kids attend.
Officers encourage anyone with further information on this case to call (928) 783-4421 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
Late Tuesday afternoon Yuma School District One released the following statement about the incident, and the driver:
"The Yuma Schools Transportation Consortium is a team of qualified, dedicated employees who safely transport Yuma students to school and home each day. School bus drivers undergo extensive training and clearance before they are allowed to operate a school bus. A dedicated team ensures that all drivers are properly certified and trained.
Any incident involving student safety is taken seriously and addressed promptly. Yuma School District One’s policy following any reported incident includes placing an employee on administrative leave pending a thorough investigation.
On Thursday, September 23rd, Yuma School District One was informed of an incident involving a school bus that was transporting students. District One followed its procedures according to policy, by immediately placing the employee on administrative leave. District One also worked in partnership with the Yuma Police Department to conduct a thorough investigation. Yuma Schools Transportation remains committed to providing safe and dependable transportation for all students.
-Statement from Yuma School District One
YPD advises parents to listen to their children and ask questions.
“You know its an imperfect world. It really is. So if you’re child comes to you with something look into it to see if theres any credibility to it,” Sgt. Lori Franklin said.
