JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A school bus crashes in a Jacksonville woman's front yard.
Valerie Johnson called the Ask Anthony team for help because of the damage to her property and what the police report said about the suspected cause of the crash.
"I knew something bad had happened because of the sound," Johnson said.
Johnson's home started shaking on the afternoon of September 30. When she looked out the window, she saw a bright, yellow school bus had hit a big tree in her front yard.
Johnson and her neighbor rushed outside to see what happened and saw the bus driver slumped over the wheel.
"She was totally unresponsive, even when the police and ambulance got here," Johnson added.
According to the crash report, police suspected the driver of using drugs. A blood test was given. But, according to the report, the test results are pending.
"She came through the fence and she took out some of my hedges," Wayne Bennett, who lives next door and also had damage to his property, said. "The bus was smoking and we were kind of afraid it might catch on fire."
Bennett and his son used an ax to break open the door of the school bus.
"I wasn't worried about the damage. I was more concerned if any kids or anybody was on the bus," Bennett said.
Thankfully, no students were on the bus. Just the driver, who they were able to pull out of the bus to safety. The crash happened on Barnes Road, not too far from Englewood High School.
The bus belongs to Durham School Services. According to a representative for the bus company, the driver was removed from service pending the outcome of the investigation.
"I was very concerned about this tree and the safety of it. The tree took a huge violent impact and I just didn't want a strong wind or bad weather to come by and it fall out in the street and it hurt a pedestrian or a citizen," Johnson explained.
That's why Johnson contacted Anthony Austin. She didn't feel like the bus company was addressing the property damage in a timely manner.
While Anthony was interviewing Johnson, someone showed up on behalf of Durham to take a look at the damage.
"I guess your calling got him out," Johnson said.
The bus company spokesperson said they are working with their insurance company and an outside vendor to get the tree taken down and apologize for any inconvenience.
"People need to be heard sometimes. I know that you did contact the company and it seems like they're aware and we can get things resolved," Johnson said.
According to the crash report, there was suspected drug use involving the school bus driver. Anthony Austin asked the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office how officers make that determination on scene. What if it was just a medical emergency? A JSO spokesperson responded in an email:
"This is on a case-by-case basis, and the determination is made by the officer on whether drug or alcohol use is suspected. Officers are trained to handle these types of investigations. As it pertains to medical emergencies, JFRD is requested where they can conduct their evaluation. As it pertains to this case, please understand that this continues to be an active investigation."
Right now, the driver has only been cited for careless driving. A spokesperson for Durham School Services said they also reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and are awaiting the results of the test.