RAVENNA, OH — Records reviewed by News 5 Investigators show the Ravenna City Schools bus driver involved in a September crash had already logged multiple accidents, complaints and discipline during prior work at two other Ohio districts. The crash happened on September 18 along Cleveland Road in Ravenna Township, when the bus collided with a white pickup truck after, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the bus driver traveled left of center.

Minor injuries were reported, but troopers said no one was taken to a hospital. The driver later paid a $170 fine after being cited for a lanes-of-travel violation, a minor misdemeanor. In a resignation letter, she apologized for what she called an unfortunate accident and said she needed to work on her professional driving abilities.

Kent City Schools reviewed nine separate incidents in four months

Ravenna City Schools Superintendent Ben Ribelin said district staff checked with Kent City Schools before hiring the driver in June 2026 and were told she had received a good review. A Kent City Schools employee said the district provided accurate information, and Ribelin said nothing out of the ordinary was shared with Ravenna.

Personnel records obtained by News 5 Investigators show the driver worked as a substitute bus driver for Kent from December 2025 through April 2026. During that short stretch, her file documented nine separate incidents. Those included hitting a garage door, driving the bus into a ditch, and a citizen reporting that she almost hit him.

The final event, according to the record, was when she hit a parked car on a one-way street. Kent later said it decided not to keep using her as a substitute driver after the April 2, 2026 incident. Ribelin said in hindsight, the district would likely have wanted to ask more questions before hiring her.

Aurora records showed driving mishaps and student-safety concerns

Before working in Kent, the driver spent about 14 months with Aurora City Schools, from September 19, 2024, to November 21, 2025. Ravenna officials said they did not contact Aurora before hiring her. Ribelin said that with hindsight, calling every reference would have been the best approach.

Aurora records show three driving-related incidents. One involved backing into a cement street lamp on December 19, 2024, causing minor damage. Another came on April 4, 2025, when she reported getting a bus stuck in the grass while trying to turn around during a tennis-team trip. A third incident was reported on May 21, 2025, when she said she struck the side mirror off another school bus while backing up in a parking lot.

The file also includes written reprimands, warnings and community complaints, adding to the picture of repeated concerns during her time in Aurora.

Complaints included falling asleep on duty and unsafe driving behavior

Among the disciplinary issues in Aurora, records say she was reprimanded for repeatedly falling asleep when she was supposed to be supervising students. A man also complained that she did not slow down or move over while he was blowing leaves in his yard and came close to hitting him.

In October 2025, a mother complained that the bus’s flashing lights and stop sign were not activated when her child got off the bus. She also said her children reported loud music, the driver looking at her phone while driving, and kindergarten students being allowed to dance in the aisles.

Supervisors documented concerns about her speed, compliance with student-safety rules and time management. In one note, students were left waiting in the rain for their bus. On November 20, 2025, she was warned about missing parts of her route on four separate occasions. She resigned the next day.

Ravenna superintendent says more reference checks might have changed the decision

Ribelin said the district relied on the checks it made at the time and believed it had completed the hiring process in the usual way. He said the newly reviewed records might have changed the district’s decision if they had been available before the hire.

He added that the district may take a closer look at a future school bus driver’s employment history. The comments reflect a broader concern for school transportation offices, which often depend on prior employers to flag serious performance or safety problems before a driver is placed behind the wheel.

In this case, records suggest the earlier warnings and incidents were spread across two districts and involved both vehicle damage and student-supervision issues. Ravenna officials said the information they had during hiring did not point to anything unusual.

Attempts to reach the driver were unsuccessful after the crash

News 5 Investigators tried repeatedly to contact the driver after the crash. No one answered the door at her home, and calls were not returned. The district did not identify any additional public response from her beyond the resignation letter that apologized for the accident.

That letter also said she needed to improve her professional driving abilities. For Ravenna schools, the records now show how a September crash fit into a longer pattern that included multiple accidents, warnings and complaints at previous jobs. The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s citation and the later fine closed the criminal court side of the matter, but the employment history remains at the center of the district’s review.

The case also underscores the importance of reference checks, especially for a position that puts children on the road every school day. Ribelin said that if the district had known more, its hiring decision could have been different.

School bus records raise questions about vetting and safety oversight

The personnel files from Kent and Aurora show a pattern that stretched across more than a year and included vehicle collisions, safety complaints and repeated warnings. Taken together, the records depict a driver whose work history contained several red flags before she was hired by Ravenna City Schools.

Those records also show the limits of a reference check if every past employer is not contacted. Ravenna spoke with Kent before hiring the driver, but not Aurora, where the more extensive history appears in the personnel file. Ribelin said more thorough employment checks would be worth considering in future hires.

For families, the September crash ended without hospitalizations, but it prompted a closer look at how districts screen bus drivers and what information gets shared when a candidate moves from one system to another.