3 Controversial NJ School Bus Incidents In 2 Weeks

One driver hit five cars and two poles. Another got lost for an hour on the first day of school, scaring parents who expected their kindergarten children to come home much earlier.

In yet another incident, parents in one district said the school buses were so crowded that the kids were forced to sit on the floor.

New Jersey had a few strange, possibly embarrassing bus incidents within the first two weeks of school that have led to one driver being fired and another arrested. School officials say they're continuing to investigate these incidents to see if they can improve their transportation systems and hold their employees more accountable.

School bus safety has come under the microscope this year after a series of mishaps prompted lawmakers to seek changes to improve safety.

In one case, a 77-year-old man who was involved in another crash, had his license suspended twice, and was cited eight times for speeding was identified as the driver in a May school bus crash that killed two people, police said. Read more: Driver, 77, Revealed In Fatal NJ School Bus Crash

In another case, two people were jailed after it was discovered that a Motor Vehicle Commission clerk faked records and sold commercial driver's licenses to 200 school bus drivers who never passed mandatory tests, according to a release from the Office of Attorney General. Read more: 2 Jailed After 200 Unqualified NJ School Bus Drivers Discovered

Here is what happened during the first two weeks of school:

NJ School Bus Driver Charged With DUI After East Orange Crashes

East Orange police say they arrested a school bus driver on Tuesday after he allegedly hit five cars, two traffic poles and a fire hydrant while allegedly driving under the influence.

There was a 9-year-old child and an adult female bus aide aboard the vehicle at the time; neither suffered injury during the crashes, authorities said.

An East Orange city spokesperson said that Wayne Carmichael, 52, of Paterson, a driver with A1 Elegant Tours, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He was also issued multiple motor vehicle summonses, including reckless driving, driving under the influence and driving while suspended. Read more here...

Driver Fired After Montgomery Students Lost On Bus For 90 Minutes

A bus driver carrying kindergarten through 2nd grade students from Orchard Hill Elementary School in Montgomery Township was recently fired after getting lost for 90 minutes on the first day of school.

During a Sept. 11 meeting, School Board President Richard Cavalli broke down in tears, saying he was sorry for her ordeal.

The cause of situation was due to "confusion with the driver and communication challenges that compounded the situation," Board Administrator and Secretary Annette M. Wells said at meeting, which can be seen in the video below beginning at 1:59 minutes. Read more here...

Children Forced To Sit On Floor Of Overcrowded Buses, Parents Say

Children were forced to squat in the aisle or sit on the floor of overcrowded buses during the first week of school in Deptford Township, parents told nj.com.

Deptford Township School District superintendent Arthur Dietz told parents the full-size buses the district uses holds 54 students and each student is directed to fill in all seats by the bus drivers and bus aides, according to the report. District officials did not return repeated requests to say whether the situation had been rectified. Read more here..

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