WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Nov. 2, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A former Granite School District bus driver has been charged with arson and child abuse after police say he intentionally started a fire on a bus with 66 children aboard.
Michael Austin Ford, 58, of West Valley City, was charged Thursday with:
- 10 counts of aggravated arson, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony
- Arson with property damage exceeding $500, a second-degree felony
- Obstructing justice, a second-degree felony
- Property damage/destruction, a class B misdemeanor
West Valley City police say an onboard video surveillance system recorded the fire on Feb. 24, 2022. The video shows smoke coming from under the bus dash, but Ford continued driving, according to charging documents.
Students reported the smell, and several can be seen in the video covering their faces and coughing, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Ford then stopped the bus and evacuated those onboard; one student was treated for smoke inhalation, the release says.
“Mr. Ford endangered the lives of not only the children on the bus, but also the other drivers on the road,” District Attorney Sim Gill said. “These charges reflect the severity of the risk that was created by Mr. Ford.”
A second fire took place April 7, 2023, and also was captured on video. Ford can be seen in the video using a lighter to ignite the electrical components under the dash, according to the DA’s office.
Ford continued driving while looking down as smoke and visible flames were seen coming from under the dash, the release says.
