On Monday, as 6-year-old Fajr Williams rode a bus to a New Jersey summer education program at an elementary school, the bus went over some bumps on the road and the little girl, who was in her wheelchair, slid down. Her change in position caused her wheelchair harness to become pushed against her throat, and the girl, who was not able to speak, suffocated, CNN reports. All the while, police say, the school bus monitor who was supposed to be keeping a watchful eye on the kids riding the bus was on her cellphone, with both earbuds in, the New York Times reports. That monitor, 27-year-old Amanda Davila, was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
"I still feel like it's unreal," Williams' mother tells the Times. Her daughter had Emanuel syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that disrupts development, leaving her unable to speak or walk. But, her mother said, she was a lively and joyful girl who could "make baby coos and happy sounds." She is calling for the state's Board of Education to make sure transportation companies they contract with are thoroughly vetted. The school bus company that was operating the bus Williams was on says in a statement, "All of our employees know that the safety of children we transport is our top priority, which is why we are fully engaged in the law enforcement investigation and support any punishment that the justice system determines appropriate for the bus monitor who has been arrested." (More New Jersey stories.)
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