FedEx Fires Driver In School Bus Incident, Company Says

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The driver of a FedEx truck seen swerving into the path of a school bus that was attempting to pass it in the Lakewood industrial park has been fired, a company spokeswoman said.

The incident, caught on video Wednesday by a motorist who was behind the school bus, also led to the firing of the bus driver, who worked for Jay's Bus Service.

“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.”

The incident happened Wednesday about 2:30 p.m. on Airport Road, a heavily traveled road between New Hampshire and Cedar Bridge avenues in the 2,000-acre industrial park, which is home to more than 300 businesses.

Read more: WATCH: NJ School Bus Driver Fired After Passing FedEx Truck

In the video, the bus driver crosses a double yellow line to pass the FedEx truck, and the truck swerves to the left, forcing the school bus into the oncoming traffic lane, before the bus speeds up and completes the pass before heading to the Garden State Parkway.

The video, which began circulating about 3 p.m. Wednesday, sparked outrage over the actions of both drivers. The motorist who took the video said the incident had been building up for about a mile because the FedEx truck was going about 25 mph and he could see the bus driver attempting to pass.

"The driver was let go last night," a woman answering the phone at Jay's Bus Service said Thursday morning. 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 driving for an Ocean County school district, but she would not specify which district.

Photo: screengrab from Stephen O'Connor's video