SOMERVILLE, N.J. — The fate of a former school bus aide charged in the death of a special needs student is now in the hands of a New Jersey jury. 

Amanda Davila took the stand Thursday in her trial for aggravated manslaughter after a safety harness strangled 6-year-old Fajr Williams on a bus she was monitoring. 

Davila, 27, told jurors she’s remorseful and suffering from PTSD linked to the fateful bus ride to Claremont Elementary School in Somerset in July 2023.

“I feel bad for what happened, and I am so sorry that it did happen, and I made a mistake,” Davila testified. 

Davila testified she wasn’t solely responsible for the seatbelt harness around Williams, who used a wheelchair, and that no one ever told her to adjust it. 

Jurors watch surveillance video of special needs student’s death

Jurors watched video from the bus showing Williams sliding down in her wheelchair and her harness getting wrapped around her neck. As Williams was struggling, prosecutors said Davila was wearing earbuds and checking social media on her cellphone. 

“I was scrolling through apps to go onto Instagram and texting,” Davila testified. 

In her defense, Davila claimed her employer allowed her to sit in the middle of the bus and did not properly train her. Her attorney blamed the deceased student’s older sister who put the harness on. 

“She died because her own mother didn’t properly, or delegated, fastening her into the wheelchair,” attorney Michael A. Policastro said, “and that is not responsibility of Amanda.” 

“It is heartbreaking and it’s disturbing”

During closing statements, the prosecution also showed video of police interrogating Davila. At the same time, Williams’ mother was slumped over, crying. Prosecutors called Davila a liar, claiming she broke policy by using her phone, and said she failed to watch Williams and secure a bus latch to prevent the wheelchair from moving, despite receiving training over seven years.  

“It is heartbreaking and it’s disturbing to keep reliving it and to have to physically watch my daughter suffer due to negligence,” said Najmah Nash, Williams’ mother. 

“The cellphone is more important than the child,” Somerset County First Assistant Prosecutor Michael McLaughlin told the jury. 

Jurors will resume deliberations on Monday. The charges against Davila carry a 10-year prison sentence.

HOLMDEL, New Jersey (WPVI) — Family, friends, and those who knew 25-year-old Billy DiMaio will pay tribute to him during a funeral service in Holmdel, New Jersey, on Thursday.

The standout athlete, son, and brother was one of the 14 victims killed in the New Year’s Day terrorist act in New Orleans.

He was with friends on Bourbon Street when a man inspired by ISIS drove his truck into a crowd of people.

DiMaio’s funeral will be held at St. Catherine’s Church in his hometown of Holmdel at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Holmdel Cemetery following the service.

Billy’s parents Bill and Tracie DiMaio are heartbroken.

“Billy had a smile that could light up a room, and his laughter was truly infectious,” the family said in a statement. “His energetic personality inspired everyone around him. He cared for others more than himself and, as the oldest brother to Samantha and Anthony held a unique and irreplaceable role in their lives as well as cousins and friends. He will be dearly missed.”

DiMaio graduated in 2022 from Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill College where he was a midfielder on the lacrosse team, according to the athletic director.

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A Monmouth County college student died Tuesday after a tragic skiing accident in Hancock, Massachusetts, according to authorities.

The student, 19-year-old Alex Kemp of Lincroft, graduated from Christian Brothers Academy last year. He was a first-year student at Williams College, also in Massachusetts, where he competed on the cross-country and men’s track and field team.

According to media reports, Kemp was skiing down the Cutter Trail route at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort when he crashed around 2:39 p.m.

“Kemp had gone over an embankment and appeared to have suffered significant head trauma,” according to reporting from The Berkshire Eagle of a statement from the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. “Jiminy Peak Ski Patrol were immediately dispatched to the scene,” the statement went on to say according to reporting from The Berkshire Eagle. “Northern Berkshire EMS arrived shortly thereafter to administer life-saving measures. The victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center before being transferred to Baystate Medical Center for further care.”

No evidence suggested drugs and alcohol were involved, according to reporting from The Berkshire Eagle of a statement from the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. The publication also reported Kemp was wearing a helmet.

The Cutter Trail, a black diamond trail, is labeled on a Jiminy Peak trail map as being “most difficult” and for seasoned skiers.

Local law enforcement is investigating the accident, and they said Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort has cooperated.

On Wednesday, Williams College President Maude Mandel addressed the school community about Kemp’s death. In it, she expressed her sadness and also quoted Kemp’s coach, Dusty Lopez, who recruited him to run at Williams.

“Alex was fearless and incredibly motivated as a runner, both in training and competition,” Lopez’s quote in the statement read. “But even when he didn’t have his own best day, he took sincere joy and pride in seeing teammates do well. The team was always his biggest priority. Our entire team feels a huge sense of loss and grief at this tragic accident. Our thoughts and hearts are with his family, his high school teammates and coaches, and everyone else who was lucky enough to know Alex.”

Mandel added that Kemp had hoped to complete a doctorate in computer science, placed first among all first-years at the NCAA Championships, and was an active volunteer. In her statement, Mandel said Kemp had volunteered at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen and iCan Bike.

The college, Mandel added, is planning to hold a public gathering in recognition of Kemp’s life in the “coming weeks.”

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