Glenolden man accused of crashing school bus and left the scene

A Glenolden man has been charged with reckless endangerment after his vehicle crashed into a school bus full of children and then left the scene, Prospect Park police said.

A Southeast Delco School District bus with 12 children on board was struck by a vehicle at 10th Street and Lincoln avenues shortly before 12:30 a.m. Friday.

No one was injured, neither the children nor the bus driver. Police Chief Dave Madonna said the driver of the crashed vehicle stopped for a moment to pick up parts of his truck on the road and then fled the scene.

The bus driver told police that the driver of a dark truck initially stopped about a block away from the collision, got out of the truck, gathered the damaged items from his vehicle and began running away.

William Meo, 45, was charged with recklessly endangering another person, failure to stop and give information at the time of an accident, careless driving, careless driving, driving without a license and causing property damage accidents.According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Prospect Park Officer Michael Slowik:

Officers arrived and spoke to the bus driver; The driver said the bus was traveling southbound on Lincoln when a northbound dark-colored work truck struck the driver’s side mirror.

Police said the bus’ mirror was severely damaged and was hit so hard that it shattered the driver’s side window of the bus.

As part of the investigation, police reviewed local security footage showing a dark-colored Ford truck crashing into a school bus.

The video also shows the driver getting out of the vehicle, running towards the crash site, collecting the truck’s parts, and then leaving the area. The operator is seen wearing a hoodie belonging to a specific business and the business’ phone number.

Police called the company, who identified the driver as Meo. Police also learned that Meo is currently on state parole.

After finding the correct address, police and parole officers went to his apartment on Chester Pike and spoke with him. Police said Meo, without asking any questions, said he didn’t know he had hit anything and that he didn’t have a driver’s license.

Meo was detained. It was learned that his driver’s license was canceled due to drunk driving.

Meo was arrested at the request of state police for violating his parole. He was arraigned before District Judge Michael F. Culp; He was taken to the Delaware County jail, with bail set at 10 percent of $50,000, which Meo was unable to pay.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4 in District Judge Mary Hopper’s courtroom.

Madonna thanked Slowik and Officer David Voorhees for their work in the investigation.

“Luckily no children or drivers were injured,” Madonna said.