Child 'Struggled Violently For Her Life' As Bus Monitor Was On Phone: Court Docs

FRANKLIN, NJ — While 6-year-old wheelchair-bound Fajr Atiya Williams "struggled violently for her life" as a school bus seat belt became tighter around her neck, a bus monitor was distracted with her cell phone, newly released court documents show in the death.

The school bus monitor Amanda Davila, 27, of New Brunswick, has since been charged with second-degree manslaughter, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to officials. Read More: 6-Year-Old Dies After School Bus Ride, Woman Charged In Franklin

An affidavit of probable cause details the final moments of Fajr Atiya Williams' life on the morning of July 17 in Franklin Township. Fajr was a special needs non-verbal student attending an "extended school year" at Claremont School in Franklin.

Here is the timeline, according to the latest information made available by authorities:

8:30 a.m.:

• At around 8:30 a.m. on July 17, a school bus owned by Montauk Transit LLC stopped to pick up Fajr at her home and brought on the bus through a handicap-accessible hydraulic lift/ramp.
• According to audio and video recordings on the bus, Davila straps Fajr into a 4-point chest harness in the back of the bus on the driver's side. A lap belt and ankle restraints were later found not to have been used.
• Davila then sat in the first seat behind the driver with her back to the back of the bus and was seen using a cell phone with earbud headphones in both ears.

8:32:30 to 8:42:30 a.m.:

• Davila did not make visual contact of Fajr for about 10 minutes until another student is taken on the bus when she "possibly" glances in Fajr's direction.

At 8:42 a.m.:

• The final three students are secured on the bus and the bus is on its way. Davila appears to be back on her cell phone.

8:44:21 a.m.:

• "A series of bumps in the road appeared to make [Fajr's] body slump in the seat which made the 4 point harness become tight around her neck," documents state.
• A video shows Fajr, who is nonverbal, appearing to be moving her mouth.
• There was no one seated in the back seat on the passenger side of the bus and the other two students were sitting in front of the empty seat.

8:46 a.m.:

• Fajr appears to struggle with the harness as it became tighter around her neck.

8:46 a.m. to 8:48:47 a.m.:

• "[Fajr] struggled violently for her life, flailing her arms and legs. On at least two occasions, [Fajr] made a shriek or gasp at one point kicked the window of the bus," documents state.
• Davila appears to be busy on her cell phone during the struggle with her back to Fajr and did not appear to hear or see Fajr as she went unconscious.

9:02:05 a.m.:

• Davila gets up and looks toward the back of the bus "but either did not realize the severity of the situation regarding [Fajr] or did not look at her," documents state.
• Davila helped the other two children off the bus.

9:02:42 a.m.:

• Davila begins to unstrap Fajr as she "laid in the wheelchair motionless" with the harness still around her neck, according to documents.

9:02:51 a.m.:

• Davila asks school staff to help her with Fajr.

9:02:58 a.m.:

• A teacher gets on the bus to help but doesn't appear to realize the dire nature of the situation.

9:04 a.m.:

• The teacher says she is unsure if Fajr is breathing and additional staff are called onto the bus to begin CPR at 9:06:40 a.m.

Fajr was taken to an area hospital’s intensive care unit and was later pronounced dead, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said.

Davila was arrested at the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office on July 19 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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