School Bus Driver Takes To Sidewalk To Avoid Lakewood Traffic Jam

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A school bus driver who drove on the sidewalk to get around a traffic jam is facing charges of reckless driving, Lakewood police said Friday.

Yaakov Stern, 41, of Lakewood, is expected in court later this month to face the charges, Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.

The incident happened Thursday afternoon, Staffordsmith said. Stern, a driver for Jay's Bus Service, had a busload of students and was driving on Williams Street when he encountered the traffic jam, Staffordsmith said.

Video of the incident was posted by The Lakewood Scoop. It shows the bus driving up on the sidewalk on the narrow street to pass a car that was stopped in traffic.

Staffordsmith said Stern was identified as the driver through investigation by Police Officer Alex Guzman of the Lakewood Traffic Safety Unit and issued motor vehicle summonses for driving on the sidewalk and reckless driving.

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