NJ Girl, 6, Dies After School Bus Ride, Woman Charged

FRANKLIN, NJ — A school bus monitor was charged after a 6-year-old with special needs died following a bus ride in Franklin Township on Monday, according to authorities in Somerset County.

Amanda Davila, 27, of New Brunswick, was charged with second-degree manslaughter, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to officials.

Shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday, Franklin Township Police were called to a local school for a call for an unresponsive child.

Officers administered CPR to the 6-year-old child. The child was taken to an area hospital’s intensive care unit and was subsequently pronounced dead, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said.

An investigation by Detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit found that the child, a 6-year-old girl with special needs, was attending an extended school year program at a local school in Franklin Township.

The 6-year-old used a wheelchair and was taken by a transit school bus from her home on Monday morning. The child’s wheelchair was secured in the back of the school bus by Davila, who was assigned as the school bus monitor, McDonald said.

"During the transport, a series of bumps in the road caused the 6-year-old to slump in her wheelchair seat making the 4-point harness that secured her to the chair to become tight around her neck ultimately blocking her airway," McDonald said.

School bus monitor Davila was seated towards the front of the bus and was using a cell phone while wearing earbud headphones in both ears during the ride, McDonald said. The investigation found that this was in violation of policies and procedures.

Davila arrested at the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday without incident.

Davila was taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police
Department at 732-873-5533 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide
anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone
for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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