MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A school bus driver who allegedly hit and killed a woman on Monday has been charged with her death.
Jason Rynders, 33, faces a charge of criminal vehicular homicide, court documents in Hennepin County reveal.
According to the criminal complaint, around 6:50 a.m. on March 16, Brooklyn Park Police responded to a call at Humboldt Ave. N. and Meadowwood Dr. They had received a report of an unconscious person lying in the road and a school bus leaving the area.
They spoke to the man who had called 911. He had been driving to work along Humboldt Ave. when he felt his car hit something on the road. A school bus was stopped on the side of the road nearby. The man got out and saw he had hit a person and called at Rynders – who was standing outside the bus – to call 911. However, Rynders allegedly got back into the bus and drove off, leaving the man to call 911 on his own.
Officials canvassed the neighborhood and came upon a house which had a video surveillance system that captured the crash. The video shows a bus turning on to Meadowwood Dr. and the sound of an impact. The bus stops, and Rynders gets out, running towards the collision site. A person, believed to be the man who called 911, can be heard yelling. Then Rynders runs back towards the bus and leaves the area.
Children appeared to be riding the bus.
Officials spoke with Rynders, who is a driver and trainer for NorthStar Bus Company. While they were speaking, Rynders admitted to hearing a noise and exiting his bus but did not think he hit anyone.
Officers reviewed the bus’ surveillance SD card, which shows three camera angles. According to the footage, at 6:41 a.m. the bus appears to shudder or hit something. The driver then dropped off the students at 7:25 a.m.
If convicted, Rynders could face up to 10 years in prison.