March 13 2024- Michael Austin Ford, a former school bus driver in Utah, is facing federal and state arson charges for allegedly setting his school bus on fire in two separate incidents, one of which occurred while students were onboard. Ford, 58, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of arson of a vehicle of an organization receiving federal funds. He pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. The first incident, in February 2022, involved Ford setting a school bus on fire with 42 children inside while driving in traffic. The second incident took place in April 2023, where Ford again set a school bus on fire while driving in traffic. Video evidence captured both incidents, with Ford allegedly attempting to tamper with the surveillance system during the second incident. Ford was arrested in April 2023 but released, and his home and personal vehicle were later damaged by fire in October 2023. He acknowledged involvement in three other bus fires dating back to 2001 or 2002, 2016, and 2017. Ford was arrested again in October 2023 on state charges and remains detained ahead of his federal trial scheduled for April 29. CNN has reached out to his federal public defender for comment.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/04/us/utah-bus-driver-indicted-fire/index.html
