The driver of the dump truck that collided with a school bus in Chesterfield, N.J. Thursday, killing one child and injuring 17, had his license suspended for reckless driving in 2003, according to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
Despite his license suspension in 2003, the driver has been in good standing since the reinstatement of his license in February of 2004.
The school bus driver‘s driving record has no smudges, according to the commission.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash that killed an 11-year-old triplet, who was the daughter of a New Jersey State Trooper.
The driver for a Herman’s Trucking dump truck had the right of way Thursday morning, according to Chesterfield Township Police Chief Kyle Wilson.
Wilson said that the dump truck was traveling on Route 528, which has a flashing yellow light at the intersection, while the school bus was traveling on Old York Road, which has a stop sign and a flashing red light at the intersection. Both roads have a speed limit of 45 miles per hour.
U.S. Department of Transportation records state that Herman’s Trucking Company had four accidents in the past two years, one of which was a fatal crash in Tabernacle Township in February 2011. The company had no comment Friday.
In the past two years, the school bus company – GST Transport – had a total of seven accidents, resulting in five injuries. Nobody died in those accidents.
