Deadly school bus crash in Sussex; no legal actions taken

The investigation by the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department into a tragic school bus accident in Sussex, which resulted in the death of a 5-year-old boy in January, has been completed. The report states that no charges or citations will be issued in the incident. According to the 86-page report, it was found that the young boy, Finn Katona, accidentally stepped off the sidewalk, was pulled down by his backpack, and fell in front of the school bus just as it began moving outside Silver Spring Intermediate School. The driver, who was not identified, cooperated with investigators by providing a blood sample, participating in an interview, and allowing her cell phone to be reviewed. It was determined that neither drugs, alcohol, nor phone use played a role in the accident. The medical examiner concluded that Katona's cause of death was "craniocerebral injuries," ruling it as accidental. The Hamilton School District did not comment on the investigation's findings, but they did change their policy by discontinuing the "bus buddy" system and adding four buses to transport 4K students directly to Willow Springs Learning Center following the incident. Investigators also noted that one of the designated bus buddies was absent on the day of the accident.