Man charged in Ohio school bus crash that killed child, state patrol says

CLARK COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX/Gray News) - A driver involved in a fatal crash with a school bus that left one student dead and others injured has been charged.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says 35-year-old Hermanio Joseph was taken into custody and is being held in the Clark County Jail.

Joseph is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide in connection with Tuesday’s fatal bus crash near Dayton, Ohio.

WXIX reports the crash happened on the first day of school for students in the Northwestern Local School District in Clark County, about a half-hour northeast of Dayton.

According to state patrol, a school bus on an elementary school route “loaded with students” was “sideswiped” by an oncoming 2010 Honda Odyssey minivan that went left of center around 8:16 a.m. on Ohio 41 in German Township.

The bus driver tried to avoid the oncoming vehicle, but could not. The bus ran off the right side of the road, overturned and crashed.

The child who died was ejected from the bus and pronounced dead at the scene, troopers say.

Another student was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Twenty-two other young children were taken in ambulances to local area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The bus driver, Alfred E. Collier, 68, of Springfield, suffered minor injuries but was not transported to the hospital, according to the state patrol.

Joseph was driving the minivan at the time of the crash. Joseph and a passenger, Roberto Mompremier, 37, were taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The child who died was not identified Tuesday, but school district officials said in a Facebook post the youngster was an elementary school student.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families that have been impacted by this tragedy,” district officials wrote.

Classes were canceled Wednesday, and grief counselors will be available at the schools to help students, staff and community members cope with their grief.

A resident who lives near the crash site said he thought something exploded.

“I looked out my window, you know, I said, ‘Dang, it’s a bus that flipped over,’” said Shaun Jeffries. “I was like, wow, that’s crazy.”

The crash remains under investigation.

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