Boston bus driver charged in 2022 fatal crash in Waltham

A Boston man has been charged with motor vehicle homicide and speeding in connection with a November 2022 fatal bus crash in Waltham, according to officials.  

Jean Fenelon, 58, was arraigned Friday in Waltham District Court and released on personal recognizance, according to a statement from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Waltham Chief of Police Kevin O’Connell.

Fenelon was ordered not to operate a motor vehicle without a license and not to have contact with any of the witnesses, according to officials.

At approximately 10:32 p.m. on Nov. 19, 2022, a shuttle bus driven by Fenelon, who was working as an employee of Joseph’s Transportation, was traveling on South Street in Waltham when it crashed, striking two trees.

When police arrived on the scene, they located 30 passengers, officials said. One of the passengers, 25-year-old Vanessa Mark, was pronounced dead. The remaining passengers and Fenelon were all transported to multiple hospitals with varying degrees of injuries, according to the statement.

At the time of the crash, the shuttle was operating on a routine trip from the Boston and Cambridge area to Brandeis University. 

Investigators say that Fenelon was allegedly driving 52 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone and driving erratically before the bus left the roadway, crashing into two trees, according to the statement.

Fenelon also allegedly failed to apply the brakes, according to officials.

The investigation was conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Waltham police, and Massachusetts State Police.