Safety Alert: Teen Struck by School Bus in Fair Lawn While Wearing AirPods
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fair Lawn NJ, A morning commute in Fair Lawn took a dangerous turn this Thursday when a 17-year-old pedestrian was struck by a passing school bus. The incident, which occurred on May 14, 2026, serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of situational awareness for both drivers and pedestrians in residential zones.
Details of the Burbank Street Incident
At approximately 8:11 a.m., Fair Lawn Police responded to the 1200 block of Burbank Street, just south of Hopper Avenue. According to Sgt. Eric Eleshewich, a mini school bus operated by Rainbow Transport was traveling southbound when the accident occurred.
Police reports indicate that the 17-year-old victim had just exited a parked vehicle and was walking southbound in the roadway. The bus driver, a 49-year-old woman from Dumont, reportedly saw the teen and sounded the horn to alert her as the bus approached from behind.
Tragically, as the bus began to pass, the pedestrian turned to cross the street and was struck by the bus’s side-view mirror.
The “AirPod” Factor: A Growing Safety Concern
Authorities noted a critical detail in the investigation: the teenager was wearing AirPods at the time of the collision. It is believed the headphones may have prevented her from hearing the driver’s warning horn.
The teen sustained a non-life-threatening hand injury and was quickly treated at the scene by Fair Lawn EMS. She was subsequently transported to The Valley Hospital for further care.
No Injuries to Bus Occupants
At the time of the crash, the bus was carrying ten passengers in addition to the driver. Fortunately, no other injuries were reported. Following an on-site investigation by the Fair Lawn Police Department, no summonses were issued to the driver.
Pedestrian Safety Tips for Fair Lawn Residents
As our local streets remain busy with school transport and morning commuters, residents are encouraged to:
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Remove Headphones: When walking near traffic, keep volume low or remove one earbud to remain aware of sirens and horns.
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Look Both Ways: Always scan for oncoming traffic before entering the roadway, especially when exiting parked cars.
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Use Sidewalks: Whenever possible, remain on designated footpaths rather than walking in the street.
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bike riders also have to be careful
If by careful you mean less entitled and arrogant, and more observant of traffic laws, yes. Also, no one think they’re peddling the Tour de France so the stupid outfits are also unnecessary.
I’ve been seeing this for the past 20 years, it’s amazing how we have individuals that just walk right off the sidewalk into the street without looking both ways. How stupid can you pay, and whoever came up with that law that pedestrians have the right away is stupid and ridiculous, I don’t give a shit you stop at the curb and you look both ways. Make sure it’s safe before walking into the road. And use the crosswalks, don’t just walk out in between cars the cross the road, because you’re lazy. And pick your head up and take your headphones, and your earbuds out of your ears so you can hear a motor vehicles, if not, it’s your responsibility. It’s your fault. You can’t expect a vehicle to stop on a dime because you ran off the sidewalk. That light needs to change. I learned that when I was five years old and meanwhile, we have supposedly smart individual individuals doing this each and every day, shame on you.
“whoever came up with that law that pedestrians have the right away is stupid and ridiculous, I don’t give a shit ”
Yes, everyone else is obviously the problem.
The law DOES NOT say that pedestrians have the right of way.
There are many situations where the pedestrian does NOT have the right of way and must yield to vehicles.
Someone tell Perry Mason not to quit his day job.
In New York City, they don’t have the right way,, if you do that bullshit in the city they give you a ticket, before this law was implemented, you noticed we didn’t have this problem. Because pedestrians would stop at the curb and look both ways before stepping into the street. Common sense. Plus, no cell phones, no earbuds, no headphones, head up, it’s like driving your car from a side road to a main road, you yield don’t you. And you look venue proceed. You don’t just pull onto the highway to you no.
What’s scarier? That you have a license or that you actually believe what you say?