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Wu announces independent investigation into BPS bus safety following deadly crash
The investigation comes almost a month after 5-year-old Lens Joseph was struck and killed by a BPS bus in Hyde Park.
Boston Public Schools officials announced Friday that the district’s transportation system will be subject to an independent safety investigation, almost a month after a kindergartender was struck and killed by a school bus in Hyde Park.
The death of that boy, 5-year-old Lens Joseph, led to sustained public outcry and calls for increased scrutiny on Transdev, the $11 billion international company that the city contracts for its transportation services.
So Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper decided to bring in Natashia Tidwell, a former federal prosecutor and police officer who specializes in external investigations, to examine safety policies and the company’s performance while under contract with the city. Tidwell will also provide recommendations after her investigation is complete.
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BPS has used Transdev for its transportation services since 2013. The company hires, trains, and manages around 750 school bus drivers in Boston.
A ‘full understanding’
Until recently, Jean Charles was one of those drivers. He was behind the wheel of the bus that killed Joseph near Washington Street in Hyde Park on the afternoon of April 28. Transdev immediately placed Charles on leave after the crash, and he later resigned. Charles had an expired school bus certificate at the time of the crash, according to district officials. The company is responsible for ensuring all its drivers have the necessary licensing, training, and certifications.
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Recent reporting from The Boston Globe found that Transdev has faced at least 15 personal injury claims since it began managing BPS buses in 2013.
“We are heartbroken,” Wu said in a statement. “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.”
A separate investigation into the specific crash that killed Joseph is underway as well. It is being led by the Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
“We are working with the City to support the review process and are fully cooperating with all aspects of the investigation,” Mitun Seguin, vice president for marketing and communications at Transdev, said in a statement.
Charles was hired by Transdev in May 2023 and assigned a regular daily route. His driving record over those two years includes four minor incidents prior to the April 28 crash. One occurred in May 2024, another in December 2024, and the final two of those incidents happened earlier in April. Charles hit another vehicle’s side mirror just two weeks before Joseph died. This prompted Transdev to pull Charles off his daily route for retraining, according to city officials.
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On the day of the fatal crash, Charles was assigned an extra route as a substitute driver to cover an early release from Up Academy in Dorchester. During this route, he hit another vehicle and did not notify a Transdev supervisor, in violation of safety protocol. If the supervisor was notified, they would have had the ability to pull Charles off the route and see it completed with another driver, according to the city.
Joseph was a student at Up Academy who was riding home on the bus. Charles missed a turn onto Glenwood Avenue, where the boy lived. Instead, he “arrived at the intersection with Glenwood Avenue by turning onto Washington Street, where the tragedy occurred,” according to city officials.
Joseph was buried in a Spider-Man coffin last week. Those that knew him remembered Joseph as a hard-working boy who was always ready to help his parents and excelled in mathematics. An uncle called Joseph the “definition of life” for his family at the funeral.
“We are holding Lens Joseph and his family in our prayers and are doing everything we can to support them during this unthinkable time,” Skipper said in a statement. “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.”
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BPS officials say they have been meeting with Transdev safety personnel daily since the crash. After learning of Charles’s expired certificate, Transdev leaders conducted an audit of all the company’s drivers in Boston to check their credentials. Seven drivers were pulled off the road due to issues with their credentials, according to the city. The company says it is bringing additional safety staff to Boston to accelerate refresher training for drivers.
City Council, Kraft demand answers
Earlier this week, the Boston City Council unanimously approved an order to hold a hearing on the matter. Councilors are asking representatives from the city and Transdev to attend the hearing, where they will face questions about the hiring, training, and certification of BPS bus drivers.
“The safety of Boston’s children is non-negotiable. The independent investigation must review the certification and safety records of every BPS bus driver. We must act with urgency to address the BPS systemic failures that contributed to this tragedy and take meaningful steps to ensure it never happens again,” Councilor Ed Flynn said in a statement Friday after the city announced the outside investigation.
Josh Kraft, Wu’s major opponent in this year’s mayoral race, called the announcement of the independent investigation “too little too late.”
“There is no more precious commodity than our city’s children, and no obligation more important than getting them to and from school safely each day. The city and BPS, under Mayor Wu, have failed to do just this. It is yet another example of failed leadership – and in this case, with the most tragic consequences,” Kraft said in a statement.
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Kraft said that he has heard from parents and community members who are worried about their children’s safety and don’t see the Wu administration doing enough to ensure a fatal accident like this doesn’t happen again.
He called on Wu to answer a long list of questions about Transdev and the city’s response to the crash. Kraft implied that Transdev’s contract should not have been renewed by the city multiple times despite “performance problems,” and he took issue with how long Wu waited to announce an independent investigation. One question Kraft released to the media was simply, “What is the Mayor hiding?”
“The responsibility – as well as the accountability – for the operation of BPS buses falls squarely on the Mayor,” Kraft said.
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