A bus driver was cited by Raynham police after allegedly crashing into two trees and then continuing on her route Monday afternoon with kids on board.
Raynham middle schoolers could be heard screaming on a cell phone video showing the driver backing into two trees and shattering glass on the bus.
There were at least 10 students on the bus at the time of the accident.
The incident happened around 3:20 p.m. Monday in the area of 80 Locust Street.
Police met 34-year-old Francelle Fleurine, of Attleboro, at the middle school and issued her a citation for leaving the scene of an accident and marked lanes violation.
Sixth graders Kelsey Sypher and Erin McGovern were on the bus sitting together at the time of the crash.
“I was so scared like what was she doing,” McGovern said.
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“Everyone was freaking out because they were scared because the glass went near me I wasn’t even in the back,” Sypher said.
A student can be heard screaming, “We hit a tree.”
Nobody was seriously injured, but the girls say the driver had an odd reaction after the crash.
“She smiled but she didn’t say anything,” said Sypher.
“She was like smiling like smirking. It was weird,” McGovern added.
McGovern's dad Joe says he never wants his daughter on a bus with that driver ever again.
“Never, no, no, no. I think mom is gonna drive her tomorrow," he said. "Yeah no. She shouldn’t be behind the wheel of the car nevermind a school bus with the responsibility of having kids."
Derek Swenson, the superintendent, says that the bus driver will no longer be driving in the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional District, and the kids will have a new bus and new bus driver for school on Tuesday.
Swenson said in a statement that "the safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority," adding students' parents were immediately notified of the incident on Bus 42.
He called the incident "absolutely unacceptable," and said he is "confident in stating however, that the Raynham Police Department, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District and Lucini Bus Lines took swift and appropriate action in the handling of this incident."
Swenson ended his statement with an apology.
"We apologize to all the Bus 42 middle school students and parents/guardians who were negatively impacted by this incident. The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District will continue to work closely with safety officials and Lucini Bus Lines to prevent such situations from happening in the future."
The incident remains under investigation.
Fleurine will appear in Tauton District Court at a later date.
