A Shenandoah man is facing multiple charges after Pennsylvania State Police say he struck a school bus carrying students in East Union Township and then fled the scene.
According to court documents, Michael Francis Javelle, 39, of Shenandoah, was charged on June 16, 2026, with 14 counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, along with misdemeanor and summary traffic offenses, following an incident that occurred on the morning of May 29.
State Police at Frackville said they were dispatched around 8:15 a.m. to the area of Nuremberg Road and Cove Mountain Drive for a report of a hit-and-run crash involving a Hazleton Area School District bus. According to the affidavit of probable cause, the bus was occupied by the driver and 13 students at the time of the collision.
Police said the bus driver reported that she was traveling north on Nuremberg Road and was preparing to make a left turn onto Cove Mountain Drive. After activating her turn signal and beginning the turn, she said a blue and white pickup truck attempted to pass the bus on the left and struck the vehicle. Following the collision, the truck allegedly made a U-turn and continued north on Nuremberg Road without stopping.
Investigators said three PennDOT workers witnessed the crash. One witness told police he observed the pickup truck following closely behind the bus and then attempting to pass it on the left while the bus was making a legal left turn. The witness reportedly identified the truck as belonging to TNT Construction.
Troopers later located the pickup truck, a 2015 GMC, at a residence in Luzerne County. Police observed damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle and yellow paint transfer consistent with the school bus, according to the affidavit. The owner of the company reportedly told investigators that Javelle had been operating the truck that morning.
Police said that after returning to the owner's residence, Javelle spoke with a trooper by telephone and admitted he had been driving the pickup truck. According to the affidavit, Javelle told police he attempted to pass the school bus when it turned into him and said he fled because he feared his driver's license would be suspended.
In addition to the 14 counts of reckless endangerment, Javelle was charged with accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle or property, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to render aid, passing left unsafely, failing to maintain a lane, and failing to stop at a stop sign.
A preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker has been scheduled for July 16, 2026.