FedEx Driver Charged With Aggravated Assault In School Bus Incident: Police

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The driver of a FedEx truck whose confrontation with a school bus driver was caught on video in mid-September has been charged with aggravated assault, police announced.

Sigmund Winiavski, 48, of Maple Shade, has been charged with aggravated assault in the Sept. 14 incident, Lakewood Detective Lt. Gregory Staffordsmith said in a news release.

Morris Wilder, 68, of Lakewood, who was driving the Jay's Bus Service school bus, received multiple motor vehicle summonses, Staffordsmith said.

Staffordsmith said Winiavski's actions in the incident, where he "attempted to force a school bus ... off the road as he illegally tried to pass him," constitute simple assault.

But because Wilder "was clearly identifiable as being engaged in the performance of his duties as a school bus driver, New Jersey law dictates that the action rises to the level of an aggravated assault," Staffordsmith said.

The incident on Airport Road came to light on Sept. 14, when a driver who was behind the school bus and had seen the bus "driving erratically" caught it on video.

Wilder was fired from his job at Jay's Bus Service that night, an employee of the bus service said the following morning.

"The driver was let go last night," a woman answering the phone at Jay's Bus Service said. The woman, who would not give her name, said there were no students on the bus at the time of the incident. She said the bus was being driven for an Ocean County school district, but she would not specify which district.

FedEx fired Winiavski a day later.

“Safety is our number one priority at FedEx Freight," said Lauren Doll, communications manager for FedEx, in an email to Patch. "We will not tolerate the type of behavior seen in the video and we have terminated the driver’s employment with our company.”

Staffordsmith said the charges were filed Sept. 23 by Detective Peter Aakjer and Sgt. Frank Work of the Traffic Safety Unit.

Winiavski was released pending a court appearance. Wilder faces a court appearance as well, Staffordsmith said.

Photo: Screen grab from video of the incident