New information released Friday showed the driver involved in a school bus crash in Boston that claimed a kindergarten student‘s life last month had a history of incidents on the roads as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper announced an independent review of the city’s transportation safety measures.
Mintz attorney Natashia Tidwell, a former federal prosecutor and police officer who specializes in external investigations, will lead an independent review of Transdev’s safety policies and performance, an international company that contracts with BPS to provide student transportation services, according to Wu and Skipper.
The decision to initiate an independent review follows the tragic death of Lens Arthur Joseph, a 5-year-old who was fatally struck by a school bus in the area of Washington Street in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood on April 28.
Transdev has been contracted by BPS since 2013 to hire, train, and manage the district’s approximately 750 school bus drivers and maintain and operate the district’s fleet of school buses.
Wu and Skipper noted that the investigation will include a review of existing safety policies and performance, including under the bus driver collective bargaining agreement, and make recommendations to strengthen safety measures.
“We are heartbroken. No family should ever suffer the loss of a child, and the public deserves a full understanding of how this could have happened and what changes are needed,” Wu said in a statement. “This independent review, separate from the investigation led by BPD and the DA’s office, will closely scrutinize the Transdev contract’s safety policies and performance. We have also asked Attorney Tidwell to deliver recommendations so that this horrible tragedy is never repeated.”
Skipper added, “We are holding Lens Joseph and his family in our prayers and are doing everything we can to support them during this unthinkable time. My team and I fully support this independent investigation of safety policies and performance under the Transdev contract. The safety of all of our students is paramount and we will ensure that any findings and recommendations from this investigation are acted on and implemented to strengthen the safety of our transportation system and the services provided by our vendor Transdev.”
The bus driver, Jean Charles, was placed on leave by Transdev after the crash, according to Wu and Skipper. He later resigned on May 14 before his termination hearing.
Charles had been employed as a bus driver since May 2023 and was assigned a regular daily route. In the wake of the crash, Transdev disclosed to city officials that Charles’ driving record over the last two years included four “minor incidents” prior to April 28, including two earlier in April 2025, after which Charles was pulled off the road for two days of retraining.
Wu and Skipper said that Charles’ incidents included striking a parked vehicle in May 2024, contacting a car’s rear tire in December 2024, hitting a car’s bumper on April 9, 2025, and colliding with a vehicle’s side mirror on April 14, 2025.
0 of 11
On the day Joseph was struck, Charles was assigned an additional route as a substitute driver to cover an early release from the Up Academy Dorchester, hit another vehicle, and failed to notify a Transdev safety supervisor, according to Wu and Skipper.
That safety advisor would have decided whether the driver would complete the route or be replaced. Instead, Charles continued on the route up until Joseph’s tragic death.
Transdev told the city that it also learned Charles had been operating since December 2024 with an expired credential required to work as a bus driver. A subsequent audit resulted in Transdev pulling an additional seven drivers off the road to verify their credentials.
Transdev said that it’s also bringing in additional safety staff to accelerate regular refresher training of all drivers on pickup, drop-off, and crash protocols. As part of regular safety meetings, BPS Transportation will now require additional reports from Transdev on licensure, training renewals, and post-crash driver protocols.
In a statement, Transdev told Boston 25 News, “We are working with the city to support the review process and are fully cooperating with all aspects of the investigation.”
The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the crash with the support of the Boston Police Department.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
