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School Bus Driver Charged with DWI After Crash on Interstate 80 in Knowlton

April 24, 2025

The driver of a school bus carrying more than two dozen children was charged with driving while intoxicated and other offenses on Interstate 80 in Knowlton on Saturday morning.

The single-vehicle crash happened on April 19 at about 7:45 a.m., on the westbound side at milepost 3, said the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

Upon arrival, troopers found the school bus disabled in the left lane with heavy front-end damage. The bus was carrying 25 juveniles and two adults. At least one injury was reported, authorities said.

The driver, identified as Pierre R. Tranquilus of East Orange, allegedly showed signs of impairment and was unable to pass field sobriety tests, the prosecutor’s office said.

A state trooper found an open bottle of beer placed behind the front passenger-side tire, according to the prosecutor’s office. Tranquilus allegedly refused to tell investigators how much alcohol he consumed that day.

All the occupants of the bus were then transported away from the scene by a different bus, police said.

Following an investigation, Tranquilus was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree endangering another person, fourth-degree assault by auto and several motor vehicle violations, including possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and driving while intoxicated

He was lodged at the Warren County Correctional Center pending his first court appearance.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.