UPDATE, 7:17 p.m.: New Iberia Police confirm to News 10 that Neshana Collins has turned herself in. She was booked on a $10,000 bond and was in the process of bonding out as of this post. Police are still searching for Travis Layne.
The residents of the neighborhood surrounding the corner of Yvonne and Zez Streets in New Iberia first knew something was wrong when the loud bus was on their block longer than usual. When they realized it was a bus fight, their first thought was fighting kids not fighting parents.
One of the onlooker’s porch surveillance video caught the moment a bus full of 13 school children lurched forward. The reason why is because their bus driver was being assaulted while at the wheel.
New Iberia Police say video on the bus shows Travis Layne and Neshana Collins were responsible.
“It’s pretty tragic what happened. I mean, you know, she’s a public servant trying to get kids to and from school in safe atmosphere and atmosphere and environment and the fact that she was beaten is pretty depressing,” lamented Sgt. Daesha Hughes.
The bus driver was bruised, bloodied, and taken to the hospital for her injuries. She was later released home to recover. Both parents face a slough of felony charges.
Thomas Spencer has children in the New Iberia School District and told News 10, “We have enough problems and trouble with the youth in New Iberia as it is, so we need our parents to set a better example than that.”
Spencer goes to the bus stop with his kids every day. He couldn’t imagine if his child would have been on that bus.
“These kids always have to be accounted for, and it’s typically the bus drivers responsibility, but once the bus driver is being assaulted what is the bus driver going to do?”, Spencer questioned.
Authorities say the bus driver had disciplined the child of her attackers Thursday. That was likely the motive behind the parents’ attack. However, according to New Iberia Police the bus driver was not seen getting physical with the student.
“The child was just asked to move from the back of the bus where she, he or she, orginally sits and go to the front of the bus behind the bus driver,” Sgt. Hughes explained. “We did see the video surveillance, but it does not show where the bus driver physically put hands on the child.”
News 10 was initially going to speak to that bus driver herself, but the Iberia Parish School District told her she could not speak. We reached out to the superintendent for comment, but have not heard back.
ORIGINAL POST: NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) — New Iberia Police are searching for two suspects who allegedly attacked a school bus driver and a parent this morning near the intersection of Yvonne Street and Zez Street.
Travis Layne and Neshana Collins both have active arrest warrants for interference in the operation, terrorizing, aggravated obstruction of a highway, criminal trespassing, second-degree battery, and battery on a school teacher, according to Sgt. Daesha Hughes.
The bus driver was taken to a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Layne or Collins, please contact the New Iberia Police Department at (337) 369-2306.
