Elementary School Bus Runs Off Road, Driver Arrested

A Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District bus ran off the road and struck a light pole and tree at around 8:52 a.m. Tuesday morning, police said. The accident occured on Smallwood Lane near Scott Lane.

Not one of the 37 children, ranging from first grade to fifth grade, on the bus were injured, but the bus driver did required medical attention for glass in her eye, Public Informations Officer Mike Fountain said.

The bus driver, Kristy Tufte of Manalapan, was arrested at the scene for having 3 outstanding bench warrants totaling $3,400 bail, Fountain said. The warrants came out of Englishtown, Woodbridge, and Freehold for failure to appear in court.

Tufte, 34, was also charged with driving with a suspended license, which had been suspended on three separate occasions. Tufte is employed by the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools, according to Fountain.

The suspension out of Freehold came when she was found shoplifting from Lord & Taylor department store at the Freehold Raceway Mall. Her failure to pay fines on the disorderly persons charge resulted in her license suspension.

On Dec. 23, Tufte was pulled over in Englishtown and found to be driving with a suspended license and in an unregistered vehicle. Tufte again failed to pay her fines and appear in court and thus her license was suspended again.

Tufte was processed at and posted bail with a bail bond company and is being released.