Be the first to know: SUBSCRIBE HERE
↑ To add this ANIMATOR CLICK HERE
Greater Orange HEADLINES in the News
Follow Greater Orange on TWITTER
Sunday, June 09, 2019
OUSD Bus driver in 2014 crash sentenced
Former OUSD Bus driver gets home jail and five years probation for 2014 Anaheim Hills crash that injured 11 students and cost OUSD about $10
million
Former Orange Unified School District bus driver Gerald
Douglas Rupple was sentenced to 210 days in jail and five years formal
probation for crashing the school bus he was driving on Nohl Ranch Road due to
an undisclosed medical condition. The bus was traveling about 50 mph when it
swerved off the road hitting a tree and lamppost after Rupple lost consciousness.
The crash injured all 11 El Rancho Charter Middle School
students on the bus. The most serious injuries included broken bones, bleeding
on the brain, a shattered spine and a toe amputation. OUSD settled with five of the families in
2017 for almost $10 million.
The sentencing last week came after Rupple pleased guilty
in June of 2018 to a perjury count for lying about his medical history when he
applied for his bus driving job and 11 felony counts of child abuse and
endangerment and four enhancements of inflicting bodily harm.
Rupple suffers
from pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that affects the
heart and lungs. Since the crash, Rupple who moved to Arizona , has had a
double lung transplant.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Shelia Hanson cited
Rupple's medical condition as one factor in her sentencing. Rupple's lawyer
told the court that jail time would amount to a death sentence because of
Rupple's medical condition. Judge Hanson
suspended the jail
Judge Hanson gave Rupple credit for 136 days in custody and
suspended his jail time until July 26th to allow him to make arrangements for
home confinement.
Rupple has repeatedly expressed remorse for the crash.
For more information on the $10
million settlement CLICK on
