Erratic school bus driver in Monsey identified, traced to private school

A private school bus driver in Monsey has now been identified by police after they were seen on shocking video passing a construction truck and almost hitting another school bus head-on .

Town of Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht tells News 12 that the driver was traced to a private school in Monsey and issued a warning by police.

“It could’ve been a disaster,” Specht said. “The bus driver was contrite.”

The driver was seen in surveillance and dash cam video, that was given to News 12 by a concerned resident, driving erratically in Monsey last Tuesday. Specht says the operator was issued a warning but couldn’t be ticketed because they weren’t caught by police firsthand.

The driver’s name was not released, and Specht says other videos of school buses driving erratically in Monsey remain under investigation.

The town is cracking down on school bus safety after four children were hit by school buses in Ramapo within the last five months and two were killed.

“Unfortunately, the incidents we’re talking about over the last few months have involved private school buses. We want to make sure they have training and that there’s oversight there,” Specht says.

Many private schools have agreed to annual town bus driver training and equipping buses with cameras and stop-arms, according to Specht, who says private school children will also be taught pedestrian safety.

As News 12 reported , police say two Monsey bus drivers were ticketed, and one was fired, in two of the crashes that injured children.

New York State requires school bus drivers have special CDL licenses and undergo four hours of initial training to be hired. Specht says, clearly, more needs to be done.

“The last thing anyone here wants to see is a child getting hurt in an accident that could’ve been avoided,” Specht says.

Ramapo is also getting $8-million dollars in federal funds that officials say will be used toward various roadway projects to improve safety.