Police: Overdosing School Bus Driver Charged After Crashing Into Tree

A school bus with 12 special needs pupils onboard crashed into a tree in Newark, driven by a woman who was overdosing on drugs, according to authorities.

After being revived with Narcan—a treatment used to revive opioid users who have overdosed—the driver, named as Lisa Byrd, 57, was arrested and later charged, according to an official statement from the Department of Public Safety.

Officials said that she had with her contraband and drug paraphernalia during the crash, which occurred around lunchtime on Feb. 20.

The children, who range from 5 to 13 years old, were all unharmed.

A video obtained by ABC7 shows the bus drift aimlessly across traffic before hitting a tree.

According to the news outlet, sources at the police department said that she was on heroin.

“Endangering the lives of Newark children is something we will not tolerate,” Mayor Baraka said in a statement. “We are grateful that none of the students were injured and that no other residents were harmed due to this incident.”

Just one day earlier, another allegedly overdosing driver was arrested and charged in New Jersey after three people were killed when his Honda plowed into a gas station.

Byrd faces charges of 12 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, driving while impaired, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Lisa Byrd, 57, of Newark. (Newark NJ Department of Public Safety)

F&A Transportation, the company employing the driver, has been “removed from transporting children” until an investigation is completed, Newark Public Schools said in a statement, according to CNN. 

3 Killed at Gas Station

The Department of Public Safety noted that the charges at this point are accusations. “This suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

The day before, just a few miles away in the township of Wayne, a Delta gas station attendant and a father and his 17-year-old son were killed when a car smashed into the station.

The driver survived and has been charged with multiple crimes, according to local reports, including manslaughter and first-degree death while driving intoxicated.

According to NBC New York, the driver was given Narcan at the scene.

The driver was identified by the prosecutor’s office as 29-year-old Jason Venderee, reported North Jersey.

The crash occurred just before 9 a.m on Feb. 19. on Route 23 in Wayne, New Jersey.

A video shows the moment that the Honda Pilot barrels into the gas station, just as gas station attendant Lovedeep Fatra turns to return the gas pump nozzle after filling up a Chevrolet Camaro on the forecourt. Fatra died in the crash.

The Honda can be seen mounting the Chevrolet before the video cuts out. The roof of the Chevrolet was torn off, and the two occupants—Jon Warbeck, 50, and his 17-year-old son, Luke—were killed.

The father was going to celebrate his birthday the next day, his sister, Toni Smith, told Pix11.

Speaking of the driver, Venderee, Smith said, “I’m glad he survived. I hope survives because dying would have been the easy way out for him.”

Venderee, of Glenwood in Vernon Township, has been charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter; three counts of first-degree death by auto while driving intoxicated within 1,000 feet of school property; three counts of second-degree death by auto; possession of a controlled dangerous substance; possession of hypodermic needles; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Gas station worker Tito Krishnamurthyhad just stepped away from the gas pumps when the crash happened. He  told NBC, “We’ve never had anything like this before.”

His colleague, Fatra, who was killed in the crash was a 22-year-old from India who had moved to America to pursue a better life, reported ABC.

In total, three cars, including the Honda Pilot, were involved in the crash, which flung debris into a nearby car dealer’s lot, damaging the parked vehicles.

“We heard a loud noise and glass breaking,” said Christian Ochs, a sales consultant at Wayne Mazda told North Jersey.

John Schindler was putting up a sign at the dealership when he heard a crash. He turned around to see an SUV spinning to a stop, with the driver apparently slumped over in the driver’s seat.