NEWARK, DE — A tragic accident at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School in Newark on Thursday morning left a bus driver dead following a collision between two school buses, according to the Delaware State Police.
Authorities said the crash occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. on October 23, 2025, in the school’s drop-off lane on Gender Road. Investigators determined that an IC 300 school bus was parked as its driver, a 54-year-old woman from Wilmington, Delaware, prepared to conduct an emergency exit drill behind the vehicle. At that moment, a second IC 300 school bus positioned directly behind the first one drifted forward for reasons that remain under investigation and struck the woman.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her name has not been released pending family notification.
The driver of the second bus, a 53-year-old woman from New Castle, Delaware, was not injured in the incident.
At the time of the crash, the buses were transporting a total of 48 students. Police confirmed that no student injuries have been reported.
The school’s parking lot remained closed for approximately four hours while the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit conducted an on-site investigation and cleared the scene.
The Delaware State Police Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. Witnesses or anyone with information are urged to contact Master Corporal R. Kunicki at (302) 365-8417 or reach out to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
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