WEST CALDWELL, N.J. -- A school bus driver was arrested Friday morning after crashing into a house in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
It happened at around 8:30 a.m. on Passaic Avenue. No children were on board and no one was inside the house.
The school bus driver is facing multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated.
School bus driver charged with DUI in crash
It was a scary scene in New Jersey on Friday when a school bus rammed through a man's home.
Luckily, there weren't any kids on board, but we're learning that the driver may have been intoxicated.
"I was dropping my boys off at school when I just saw the bus flying into the house," neighbor Karen Zieleniewski said.
Neighbors watched in horror as the big yellow bus went careening into the house.
"I heard big thumps, looked out and saw the bus into the house," one person said.
The house belongs to Siva Thangam, who, thankfully, had already gone to work when the bus went smashing through one of his bedrooms.
"It actually went through all my computer and everything is gone," he said.
The bus had no students on board at the time of the crash.
Police say the driver, who had recently just dropped students off at the nearby Essex County vocational-technical school had a blood alcohol content of at least .04.
Thirty-seven-year-old Anthony Stuckey, of Newark, was arrested and charged with:
- Driving while intoxicated,
- Fifteen counts of endangering the welfare of a child,
- DUI with minor passengers,
- And operating a commercial vehicle without a proper CDL, among other charges.
The bus is operated by Phoenix Transportation Service. CBS2 went to the company's bus yard in Newark. People there had no comment.
Neighbors say the stretch of roadway where the crash happened is on a particularly dangerous curve, and drivers have been known to lose control there.
"They recently put the guardrails up because of that. The past couple of years, there's been some incidents here," neighbor Nicole Perez said.
In fact, it's not the first time a vehicle ended up in Thangam's front yard. Just two years ago, one crashed into his landscaping.
"I replaced the tree. In hindsight, I should have put better bushes. Ha," he said.
The bus was removed, but the damage is significant. The foundation actually shifted during the massive collision.
The homeowner told CBS2 he is staying in a hotel Friday night until he can have the damaged assessed.
CBS2 reached out to the Essex County Schools of Technology District for comment. So far, no word back.
Neighbors, police say crash took place on dangerous stretch of road
A school bus driver has been taken into custody after driving a bus into an empty home.
The bus has since been towed away, but the damage left behind is very visible. A giant hole was left in the front corner of the house.
Luckily, no students were on board the bus - and no one was home - at the time of the crash.
Police say the bus was headed southbound on Passaic Avenue near Terrace Place around 9 a.m. when, for some reason, it veered off the road and went straight into the house.
The driver had just dropped all the students off at the nearby Essex County School of Technology.
Neighbors say this stretch of roadway is on a particularly dangerous curve, and drivers have been known to lose control here.
West Caldwell's police chief confirmed as much.
"It can be managed, but people who are driving in excess of the speed limit or are not paying attention, it creeps up on them quick," said Chief Dennis Capriglione.
The driver of the school bus was taken into police custody. The police chief would not say what, if any, charges would be filed, only that the crash was under investigation.
The integrity of the house has apparently been compromised. The foundation has shifted, CBS2's Nick Caloway reported.
Bus driver in custody
The bus slammed into the home around 8:30 a.m. near Terrace Place and Passaic Avenue in West Caldwell.
Fortunately, there were no children on the bus, and no one was in the home at the time.
West Caldwell police say the bus driver has been taken into custody.
Charges haven't been announced. The incident remains under investigation.
The bus, from Phoenix Transportation Service, crashed about halfway into the home.
