Boston Family Sues BPS Contractor Transdev Over Bus Crash Injuring Child

The family of 8-year-old Reginald Oates, an autistic Boston Public Schools student, has filed a lawsuit against Transdev, the district’s transportation contractor, and bus driver Vitony Laguerre, following a December 2024 incident where Oates was seriously injured after being struck by a school bus in Jamaica Plain. Dashcam footage shows Laguerre apparently asleep before abruptly waking and driving the bus onto the sidewalk, hitting Oates and a school aide, Jermaine Bell, who was also injured. The lawsuit alleges negligence and gross negligence by both Laguerre and Transdev, accusing the company of systemic safety failures, inadequate supervision, and training, and disputes Laguerre’s conflicting explanations for the crash, including claims of mechanical failure or swerving to avoid traffic. Oates suffered a fractured femur requiring multiple surgeries and extended rehabilitation, while Transdev faces scrutiny amid ongoing investigations following a separate fatal bus crash in April. The family and their attorneys emphasize the need for accountability to prevent further incidents, highlighting the traumatic impact on Oates and broader safety concerns within the Boston Public Schools transportation system. Transdev has declined to comment on the active litigation.