TOMS RIVER – A school bus accident on Monday morning is now under probe by police after several students suffered minor injuries. The bus driver is now facing charges.
Toms River Police confirm to Jersey Shore Online that the bus was pulling into the Ocean County Vocational Technical School parking lot to drop off students when the incident happened. Students from the Lacey school district were onboard the bus.
Spokesperson Jillian Messina identifies the driver as 57-year-old Cheryl Rooth of Whiting. Messina said “as Roth pulled behind another bus to drop off her students, she did not stop in time and struck the rear of the unoccupied bus parked in front of her.”
Of the 28 students on Rooth’s bus, eight suffered minor injuries and three of them were juveniles.
Messina added that Rooth was not under the influence of alcohol but was allegedly under the influence of prescription medication and charged with DWI, DWI in a School Zone, DWI through a school crossing and DWI with a minor in the vehicle.
The accident investigation continues by Toms River Traffic Safety officer Robert Westfall.
