School bus driver who fatally dragged pedestrian in crosswalk was not certified
The Brief
A Minnesota school bus driver was recently convicted of careless driving after he hit and killed a pedestrian in a crosswalk in South Minneapolis in April 2023.
A Septran school bus driver was "not certified" to operate a school and should not have been behind the wheel, according to police records.
Internal bus company coaching records reveal the driver had been flagged at least 20 times for dangerous driving in the three months before the crash.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Septran school bus driver repeatedly flagged for dangerous driving was allowed to continue driving for one of the largest school districts in Minnesota until he hit and killed a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
The backstory
School bus driver Osman Ali hit and killed Josue Gochez Perez on April 24, 2023.
Gochez Perez, 27, was walking in the crosswalk at 28th Street and Cedar in South Minneapolis on April 24, 2023. He had the walk signal and the right of way, according to police records and court testimony.
Witnesses testified in Ali's recent criminal trial that the bus dragged Gochez Perez more than 100 feet before he died pinned underneath the bus. He had a wife and three young children.
Police camera footage shows Ali describing the crash to an officer: "When I come through, the light is green… I don't see him when I pass… I think is a cone or something. I tried to stop – I can't stop."
In a recent interview with the FOX 9 Investigators, Gochez Perez's family expressed their concerns about the bus driver's qualifications and the company that trusted him to operate a school bus.
Dig deeper
The school bus driver was employed by Septran – a school bus company that had a $4 million contract to drive students for Minneapolis Public Schools.
An MPS spokesperson said the district "has protocols in place to keep our students safe while traveling to and from school on our buses." However, citing the ongoing legal matter, MPS declined to comment any further.
Police records show Ali was "not certified" to drive a school bus since he failed to complete a written test known as "Appendix E" nearly a month before the crash. Ali only answered eight of the 20 safety questions.
A Minnesota State Trooper wrote in a report that Ali "wasn't able to demonstrate… that he had sufficient skills and knowledge to transport students in a safe and legal manner."
"How do we not look at this and say 'we've got to pull them off the road?" said Roger Poehls Jr., an attorney representing the victim's family.
Internal Septran coaching records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators reveal Ali's driving record had raised red flags for months before the fatal April 2023 crash.
Ali was flagged at least 20 times for risky driving in the three months before the crash – including repeated concerns over incomplete stops and braking.
What they're saying
Poehls said the pattern of behavior exhibits a disregard of basic safety within Septran. "Somebody wasn't paying attention – somebody up above, supervisors – their program is not working," Poehls said.
Gochez Perez's family is now suing the school bus company Septran and the driver.
"You've got to have a better system in place to make sure these drivers are not on the road," said Roger Poehls Jr., the victim's family's attorney. "They're just not doing enough."
Citing pending litigation, Septran declined to comment.
However, the company's coaching records reveal how Septran responded to Ali's driving violations in the weeks leading up to the fatal crash.
March 14: "He is making great strides in getting this under control." March 24: "Told driver we need to make complete stops."April 14: "He is making good progress getting this under control." Poehls described Septran's coaching as a "rubber stamp" and ineffective.
Big picture view
An inspection of the Septran bus involved in the fatal crash uncovered a loose battery and cables – violations that should have taken the bus out of service. That same year Septran failed 40% of its annual safety inspections.
The FOX 9 Investigators previously found that more school buses statewide are failing inspections than ever before.
What's next
Ali no longer drives for Septran. He is set to be sentenced on his criminal charges next month.
The Source
Videos and accident reports were pulled from court records and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The FOX 9 Investigators obtained internal records from the Septran Bus Company. Witness testimony was documented by the FOX 9 Investigators during the criminal trial of Osman Ali in January 2025.
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