Trash Truck Driver in Fatal School Bus Crash Is Charged

Misdemeanor criminal charges were filed Friday against the driver of a Los Angeles trash truck that collided with a school bus in December, killing two 8-year-old boys.

Kenneth Wayne Fox, 29, faces one count of failing to comply with state regulations regarding inspection of equipment before operating a vehicle such as a trash truck, according to the district attorney’s office. Fox is scheduled to be arraigned July 12.

A city driver since 1988, Fox has not returned to work since the Dec. 6 accident, though he faced no internal discipline from the city.

“My head ain’t right,” he said Friday. “I’m not thinking about going back yet.”

Francisco Mata and Brian Serrano were killed when the automatic trash compacting mechanism in Fox’s truck malfunctioned and a hydraulic cylinder burst through the steel side of the truck, into the school bus window. Several other children were injured in the incident near downtown.

Friday’s announcement marks the first criminal charges in connection with the accident, which triggered a massive overhaul of maintenance of the trucks’ packing system.