Glenolden man accused of hitting school bus and left the scene

A Glenolden man is charged with reckless endangerment after his vehicle struck a school bus full of children and then fled the scene, Prospect Park police said.

A Southeast Delco School District bus with 12 children on board was struck by a vehicle at 10th and Lincoln Avenue shortly before 12:30 a.m. Friday.

None of the children or the bus driver were injured. The driver of the striking vehicle stopped briefly to pick up pieces of his truck that were lying on the roadway and then fled the scene, Police Chief Dave Madonna said.

The bus driver told police that the driver of a dark truck initially came about a block away from the collision, exited the truck, removed damaged items from his vehicle and fled the scene.

William Meo, 45, was charged with recklessly endangering another person, failure to stop at an accident and provide information, reckless driving, careless driving, driving without a license and property damage accidents.According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Prospect Park Officer Michael Slowik:

Officers arrived and spoke with the bus driver who said the bus was traveling south on Lincoln when a dark-colored work truck traveling north struck his driver’s side mirror.

The bus mirror appeared to have significant damage and was hit so hard that the mirror itself shattered the driver’s side window of the bus, police said.

As part of their investigation, police reviewed local security footage, which showed a dark-colored Ford truck hitting the school bus.

Video also shows the driver getting out, running to the scene of the collision, picking up pieces of his truck and then leaving the area. The operator can be seen wearing a hoodie of a particular company, along with a phone number for the company.

Police called the company, which identified the driver as Meo. Police have also learned that Meo is currently on parole.

After finding the correct address, police and probation officers went to his apartment on Chester Pike and spoke with him. Police said Meo said without prompting that he didn’t know he had hit anything and that he didn’t have a permit.

Meo was taken into custody. Investigation revealed that he has a suspended driver’s license due to driving under the influence.

Meo was detained at the request of state police for violating his parole. He was arraigned before District Judge Michael F. Culp, who set bail at 10 percent of $50,000, which Meo could not afford and was taken to the Delaware County Jail.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 4 in District Judge Mary Hopper’s courtroom.

Madonna credited Slowik and officer David Voorhees for their work in the investigation.

“Fortunately, no children or driver were injured,” Madonna said.