NEW ORLEANS —
A report obtained by WWL Louisiana reveals new details about a school bus crash in New Orleans on April 10th that killed 6-year-old Mayson Richards.
The NOPD said Richards’ mother drove him to Desire Street that morning to catch the bus. He got out of her car, ran toward the bus, then the bus hit him. He was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead not long after.
At the time of the crash, the driver was employed by the company JJ Julien Transportation. The NOPD told reporters that day that she was not facing any charges.
According to the crash report, obtained Wednesday by WWL Louisiana, the driver told investigators she stopped in the 1400 block of Desire Street and opened the door of the bus to pick up passengers. The report described “all the safety features on the bus” as “operational.”
The child was taken to a hospital by New Orleans EMS. NOPD said the child died as a result of their injuries.
While the passengers were getting onto the bus, the driver said she noticed a car pull up behind the bus, later revealed to be Richards’ mother’s car. She closed the doors of the bus and began driving forward.
As she did, she said she checked the sideview mirror, which the report specifies is “done after every pick-up.” She saw Richards’ mother run from her car and pick up Richards, who “was lying in the street.” She told investigators that is when she realized she had hit him.
Thursday Bayinnah Simms, Richards’ great-aunt, told WWL Louisiana that both of his parents are still struggling deeply with the loss. “This is his only child. This is her only child. They’re both going through it, and it’s a rough time for both of them,” she said.
She added that even with the information included in the report, Richards’ family members are still wondering how the driver failed to notice him running past the bus. “I don’t think the report gave us any closure,” she said.
The report says the bus traveled 244 feet from where Richards was hit. It adds that “further investigation” revealed Richards had run in front of the bus “attempting to get on” as it was pulling forward.
According to the report, “due to the height of [victim], [the driver] did not see him running in front of the bus.”
The report also says the driver was fully licensed and was not speeding or distracted when the crash occurred. Impairment was not suspected and no drug or alcohol test was administered.
The report also revealed there were 27 passengers on the bus ranging in age from 5-15 years old. None reported any injuries. A neighbor at the scene told WWL Louisiana they had seen a second bus arrive after the crash and the students being transferred onto it.
