Tragedy Strikes: Child with Special Needs Dies on School Bus Ride, Bus Monitor Charged

A 6-year-old child with special needs died after suffocating on the harness that secured her wheelchair during a school bus ride in New Jersey. The bus monitor, who was supposed to protect her, is now facing charges of manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. The child slumped in her wheelchair after the bus hit bumps on the road, causing the four-point harness to block her airway. The bus company used a new driver and monitor for the extended summer program, and the monitor was found to be in violation of policy and procedure by being on her phone and wearing earbuds during the ride.