Map: What we know about the moments before a bus driver struck and killed a 5-year-old in Hyde Park

By Christopher Huffaker, John Hancock, and John Hilliard, Globe Staff

Published May 15, 2025

On April 28, a bus struck and killed a 5-year-old Boston Public Schools student in Hyde Park. The victim, Lens A. Joseph, was on his way home from UP Academy Dorchester. He was struck by his school bus just after it dropped him off on Washington Street, near his home.

Lens Joseph in image from gofundme.com.

Lens Joseph in image from gofundme.com. (GoFundMe)

The same bus struck two parked cars in Wellington Hill in Mattapan about 25 minutes before hitting the boy, according to police radio calls reviewed by the Globe. The bus driver, identified as Jean Charles, continued driving after hitting the parked cars, and later also attempted to flee the scene of the fatal crash in Hyde Park.

Charles resigned Wednesday ahead of a scheduled termination hearing.

The interactive map below shows a timeline of events, according to radio calls, city and school officials, and Lens’ family attorney.

First bus crash reported

About 2:20 p.m.: A dispatcher on police radio described Bus 015 hitting two parked cars on Goodale Road and Wellington Hill. Goodale is a one-way street with cars parked on both sides of the road. The dispatcher reported the bus “took off on Walk Hill Street” toward the nearby Mount Hope Cemetery. Children were on the bus at the time, according to the dispatcher.

Driver misses turn

The bus was coming down Truman Parkway and should have made a left onto Glenwood Avenue to approach Lens’ bus stop. But driver Jean Charles missed that turn, and ended up taking the next left onto Tyler Street. He proceeded down Tyler Street and turned left onto Washington Street to approach the stop, instead of going along Glenwood as he was supposed to, according to city and school officials.

Lens A. Joseph’s bus stop

According to neighbors, the bus usually dropped Lens off on Glenwood Avenue, where he lived.

Lens gets off the bus

Instead, Lens and his 11-year-old cousin were dropped off at 107 Washington St. A substitute bus driver was driving that day.

The crash

About 2:45 p.m.: Lens attempted to cross the street in front of the bus to go home, and was hit by the vehicle.

The bus driver attempts to flee, according to radio recordings

Before about 2:58 p.m.: The bus “took off,” a dispatcher on the police radio channel said. The driver appears to have made it only a few houses away before a vehicle blocked the bus to prevent it from leaving.

Up next

© 2025 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC