School bus driver faulted in April crash with police car

The unmarked police car and school bus are seen after the crash. (FCPD images)

A Fairfax County Public Schools bus driver has been found at fault for an April crash involving a police car that sent four people to the hospital, the Fairfax County Police Department announced Friday.

Linda Phillips, 58, of Alexandria, was cited for failing to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign, according to an FCPD news release. The violation is punishable with a $97 fine if paid ahead of time, according to Fairfax County’s traffic court website.

The April 7 accident occurred at the intersection of Backlick Road and Floyd Avenue in Springfield. The bus, traveling west on Floyd, was carrying students from Mark Twain Middle School who were returning from a field trip. The unmarked police car was traveling north on Backlick while responding to a non-emergency call. It did not have its lights and siren on, and was not “driving in an expedited manner,” according to the FCPD.

The FCPD investigation ruled that Phillips had an obstructed view before crossing Backlick. The subsequent impact was severe enough to send two students, a chaperone and the police officer to the hospital with minor injuries. All were treated and released that same day.

Philips is still employed by the county, according to John Torre, a spokesman for FCPS. Torre said it is against county policy to disclose any disciplinary measures against employees.

The collision with the school bus was the second traffic crash involving the FCPD in the span of a week. On April 2, a marked cruiser struck and killed Jeffrey Ponce Aguilar on Beulah Street near the Wegmans shopping center. According to police, Aguilar was crossing the street against the green light and stepped in front of the police car’s path. The final report on that crash has not yet been released.