A video capturing a New Bedford school bus crossing a double yellow line and then driving the wrong way down a one-way street has landed in the hands of city police, who say they are now investigating. The footage, recorded Thursday morning as the bus traveled west on Nash Road, shows the driver pass two stopped vehicles before turning onto Stanley Street against the flow of traffic.
The clip was captured by a witness and submitted to Fun 107, which first reported on the incident. According to the outlet, traffic had backed up near the Bombshell Lashes business on Nash Road as the bus maneuvered around the stalled cars before making its wrong-way turn onto Stanley Street. The same account was also detailed by 1420 WBSM, which credited reporter Michael Rock with the October 30 writeup.
Witness Says It's Happened Before
The witness who recorded the video told the station this was not an isolated moment. Per the same account, he said this was at least the third or fourth time in the past month that he had seen the same bus driving the wrong way. He also said he had seen the bus stop at Newcomb Street to pick up a group of elementary school-aged children.
The witness added that the driver appears to take the wrong-way route regardless of whether there is traffic to avoid. “He's done it without traffic being there. He always takes that side street going the wrong way,” he said, according to the report. He told the outlet that someone needs to talk with the driver.
Police and School District Response
New Bedford police confirmed they are investigating the video submitted to Fun 107. A police statement said the footage had been forwarded to the North End Commander for review, adding that officers would be looking into the matter.
New Bedford Public Schools had not responded to a request for comment by the time the story was published, and the outlet said it would update its reporting once a statement becomes available. Tremblay's Bus Company ownership told the station that the matter had been turned over to the company's legal team.
A Company With a Mixed Safety Record
Tremblay's has faced scrutiny over safety and compliance issues before. In 2014, the company announced additional safety steps after a bus monitor failed to walk to the back of a van, leaving an elementary school student unattended in the vehicle the previous month, according to a report from eu.heraldnews.com. More recently, a 2021 announcement from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office described a proposed consent decree concerning allegations that Tremblay's drivers routinely allowed diesel buses to idle unnecessarily for long stretches on school grounds, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.
For now, the outcome of the police review and any response from the school district remain unknown. What is confirmed is the video itself: a school bus crossing a double yellow line, passing stopped traffic, and turning the wrong way down a residential street in broad daylight.
