Bus Driver in Storrow Drive Crash to Be Charged

The driver in an early-February bus crash on Storrow Drive will face charges, according to police Tuesday.

Samuel J. Jackson, 67, of Philadelphia is charged with one criminal count of operating negligently to endanger, as well as with civil violations of failing to obey a sign on a Department of Conservation and Recreation roadway and operating a bus on a DCR roadway, according to a Massachusetts State Police press release.

On the night of Feb. 2, Jackson, driving a Cavalry Coach bus full of teenagers affiliated with the Destined for a Dream Foundation, on its return trip from Harvard University to Philadelphia attempted to enter a tunnel under the Western Avenue Bridge in Allston. The bus was too tall for the tunnel, which has a posted 10-foot height limit.

“The investigation determined that the bus did not slow down as it entered the tunnel, causing significant damage to the roof on the front portion of the bus and the portions of the frame that held up the roof,” the statement says.

Buses are prohibited from that stretch of roadway. The investigation found that Jackson did not heed posted warning signs.

Jackson has been summonsed to appear in Brighton District Court.

Thirty-four students were injured in the crash, including three with serious injuries and one with life-threatening injuries. Storrow Drive eastbound was closed to traffic from 7:45 p.m. Feb. 2 to 12:30 a.m. Feb. 3.

The decision to charge Jackson “comes after a meticulous investigation of the facts and circumstances of the crash by State Police, in consultation with the Office of Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley,” the statement says.