Paramus School Bus Driver Pleads Guilty In Fatal Morris Crash

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The bus driver accused in last May's fatal bus crash on I-80 in Mount Olive pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide charges Monday, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

The accident claimed the lives of social studies teacher Jennifer Williamson and fifth grade student Miranda Vargas.

Hudy Muldrow Sr., 79, was in Superior Court in Morristown Monday where he plead guilty to a pair of reckless vehicular homicide charges, five counts of fourth degree assault by auto, one count of disorderly persons Assault by auto and endangering the welfare of children, officials said.

That sentence calls for an aggregate sentence of 10 years in New Jersey state prison - five years for each of the reckless vehicular homicide charges, which would run concurrently but would be subject to a mandatory minimum of 85 percent of the sentence, officials said.

Students and teachers from Paramus East Brook Middle School were on their way to a field trip at the Waterloo Village in Byram on May 17, 2018, when the crash happened. Prosecutors say the three buses missed the exit for the village and, in an attempt to course correct, Muldrow cut across three lanes of traffic on I-80 in attempt to reach the other side of the road.

The bus was hit by a dump truck, knocking the body of the bus off its chasis. Virtually all the 45 students, teachers and adults on the bus sustained some type of injury.

Muldrow has a long history of driving trouble, the state Motor Vehicle Commission confirmed, including 14 license suspensions. Despite his record, Muldrow still managed to have a commercial driver's license with valid passenger and school bus endorsements, Commission spokesperson Mairin Bellack said.

Paramus officials have said they were unaware of his driving record.

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