Utah school bus driver arrested for setting bus on fire while 42 children were on board - shocking!

A shocking and disturbing incident has come to light in Utah, involving a former school bus driver who has been accused of setting two school buses on fire on separate occasions. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, the suspect, Michael Austin Ford, was arrested and ordered to be detained on March 1, 2024. The 58-year-old from West Valley City, who used to work for Granite School District, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for two alleged incidents of arson while driving the bus.

Ford is facing two counts of arson of a vehicle of an organization receiving federal funds. Court documents reveal that the two incidents occurred in February 2022 and April 2023. The first time, while there were 42 children on board, Ford reportedly used an ignition device to set a school bus ablaze and continued driving it in traffic. The video footage shows smoke billowing towards the back of the bus, where the children were seated. Another incident took place in April 2023, when Ford was driving a different school bus and allegedly started another fire while in traffic. Once again, smoke was seen billowing past his face. Although Ford was arrested by Granite School Police a few days later, he was released after being questioned.

A jury trial has been scheduled for next month on April 29, at 8:30 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. The investigation into Ford's actions began in October 2023, after reports of damage to his home and vehicle in a fire. According to court documents, Ford has a history of arson and has purportedly admitted to being involved in three other bus fires, one of which occurred between 2001 and 2002, and the others in 2016 and 2017, as stated in the motion for detention. Despite the evidence against him, Ford has entered a plea of not guilty.

This disturbing case has raised concerns about the safety of children and the trust that parents place in school bus drivers. The former bus driver's actions could have had devastating consequences, and the community is rightfully shocked and outraged. As the case moves forward, we can only hope for justice to be served and for steps to be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

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