Paramus school bus accident: Truck in Route 80 crash was in another crash 2 years ago

The dump truck involved in Thursday’s horrific crash with a school bus on Route 80 is apparently owned by a Belleville company that has logged 247 violations — and eight crashes — in the past 24 months.

None of those earlier accidents involved fatalities.

The records on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website for Mendez Trucking Inc. in Belleville show one of the crashes involved a vehicle with the same license plate number as the red dump truck that collided with the Paramus school bus on Route 80.

That accident from July 2016 — on the New Jersey Turnpike in Newark — involved a 33-year-old driver and just one vehicle, and it resulted in a single injury. No citations were issued.

The records for Mendez Trucking also show three fines totaling $22,850 in 2016 for violations related to inspection, repairs and maintenance, as well as post-accident testing for alcohol and controlled substances.

Road Warrior:Are school buses, like one from Paramus that crashed on Route 80, safe?

'A lot of people were screaming':Middle School student describes bus crash

Reaction:"This is every parent's nightmare": Social media reacts to fatal crash

Messages left at a phone number for the company did not draw an immediate response.

Thursday's accident occurred near the Waterloo Village exit — Exit 25 — on Route 80. The bus was among three transporting students from East Brook Middle School in Paramus to Waterloo Village. Two people, a student and a teacher, were killed.

Authorities have not provided details about how the crash occurred, citing the ongoing investigation.

But a dump truck with a twisted front end bearing the name Mendez could be seen along the highway near the accident scene; the words “In God We Trust” were written across the back.

Juan Munoz is listed as a principal in the company in state records. He could not be immediately reached.

Mendez Trucking has 41 drivers and 41 trucks, according to federal records. A federal report lists its cargo carried as construction and sand and gravel.

The company has a higher-than-average vehicle out-of-service rate; the company's rate was 37.9 percent, while the national average is 20.7.

Of the eight accidents listed for the past 24 months, only one resulted in a citation; five included injuries. They occurred on major roadways in the region — three on the turnpike — in Passaic, Essex, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. 

The license plate number for the dump truck is also among those that show up in the company violations history.

Of the violations for Mendez Trucking, dozens were for leaking, spilling or falling cargo, exceeding the weight rate of tires, inoperable lights, and oil and grease leaks. But they also logged violations involving vehicle brakes, including inadequate and defective brakes. Thirteen were categorized as unsafe driving.

Inspections just last month include citations for excessive weight.