Mongomery Twp. Bus Driver Pleads Guilty To Choking Young Boy: Police

Crime & Safety

Mongomery Twp. Bus Driver Pleads Guilty To Choking Young Boy: Police The 73-year-old driver apparently became frustrated while trying to buckle in the 6-year-old, authorities said.

— A school bus driver in Montgomery County has pleaded guilty after authorities said he choked a young boy after struggling to buckle him in.

Bus aide MacArthur Wilson, 73, of Lansdale, pleaded guilty to the charge of strangulation in Montgomery County court this week.

The incident occurred back on Oct. 16, 2023 at around 4 p.m. while on a school bus Montgomery Township.

Wilson, whose job involves child supervision and ensuring the safe and smooth passage of children from their home to school, had been asked to sit with the victim.

Wilson spent several minutes "struggling" with the boy's seatbelt, with his frustration apparently mounting until he put his hands around the child's neck and squeezed, police said.

The boy was choked for about seven seconds until the bus driver yelled at him, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The child returned home visibly upset with hand marks on his neck, police said. The driver reported the incident as soon as the bus returned to the school yard, and it was also caught on the bus surveillance video.

The child was about one minute from his home when the incident occurred, the DA said.

Other charges, including attempted simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and harassment were all dropped, court documents show.

Sentencing is forthcoming.