BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A 33-year-old school bus driver has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide after a fatal hit-and-run Monday morning in Brooklyn Park.
According to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, Jason Rynders was charged Wednesday in connection with the deadly collision and will make his first court appearance on Thursday.
The victim has been identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner as Devon Lizbeth Doherty, 45, of Brooklyn Park.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called around 6:45 a.m. to the area of Humboldt Avenue North and Meadowwood Drive in Brooklyn Park. When officers arrived, a man said he was driving to work when he saw a school bus pulled over to the right side of the road and then felt his car hit something on the road. The man exited his vehicle and saw that he had hit a woman, later identified as Doherty.
The man said that the bus driver, who is believed to be Rynders, was standing outside of the bus for about five seconds, and he told Rynders to call 911. Instead, Rynders got in the bus and drove off, according to the complaint.
When police arrived, Doherty was pronounced dead on the scene. Early investigations indicate that she was hit by the front of the bus, the front axle and possibly the rear tires, the complaint says.
Surveillance video shows the bus turning westbound from Meadowwood Drive onto Humboldt Ave and then a collision is heard just after 6:40 a.m. The bus pulled over and Rynders ran back toward the collision. The complaint goes on to say a short time later, a voice, believed to be the other man, is heard yelling at Rynders to call 911. Rynders is then seen getting on the bus and driving away.
During the investigation, one of the neighbors had a video surveillance system that captured some of the collision and the events shortly after. The video appears to show that children were on the bus when the collision occurred.
When officials spoke with Rynders, he admitted to hearing a noise and getting out of the bus, but said he didn't think he had hit anything.