Man accused of tipping East Valley school bus Monday may face assault charges
Ryan Zumwult parked his white BMW in the parking lot of his business before starting work for the day. Hours later, he realized it was no longer there and reported it stolen around 7 a.m. Nov. 22.
He had no idea his BMW at 8:40 a.m. would crash into an East Valley School District school bus so forcefully it tipped over, according to newly filed court documents. No children were on board the bus and the driver was checked at a local hospital and appeared to be uninjured, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jeffrey S. Schelin, 30, was arrested Nov. 22 after several witnesses saw someone matching his description collide with the bus on East Wellesley Avenue and North Kenney Road before fleeing the scene, according to the affidavit filed.
Neighbors told investigators that around 7 a.m. that day, they saw an unfamiliar BMW parked at the house where they had previously seen someone they recognized as their neighbor Schelin, court documents said.
About an hour later, residents on East Wellesley Avenue told detectives they saw the remnants of a car crash – a heavily damaged school bus and BMW.
The two vehicles landed in one witness’s yard, who said he saw a man exit the BMW, hop a nearby fence and leave the scene.
Around 1 p.m., a witness on the 21100 block of East Wellesley heard a tapping noise coming from a rear window of her house, according to the affidavit.
After hearing about the crash she called police and said she thought someone was hiding in her shed, according to the affidavit. Police confirmed this was true and identified this person as Schelin. He appeared to have some injuries from the crash and was sent to the hospital.
Deputies arrested Schelin on suspicion of several criminal charges: reckless driving, possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to remain at the scene of the accident, second-degree burglary, driving with a revoked or suspended license in the third degree, and failure to maintain liability insurance.
And he may face another charge: assaulting a school official.
Lorri Smith, East Valley School District’s transportation director, told the court during Schelin’s first appearance she wanted prosecutors to consider an assault charge because of the nature of the crash. Witnesses told police they noticed the BMW had been driving at high speeds and ignored a stop sign right before it collided with the bus.
“It has an effect on the students he (the driver) transports on a daily basis,” Smith told the court on Monday afternoon.
Schelin was booked into Spokane County Jail, where he remained on Monday on a $25,000 bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 7.