Jaguar hits school bus; driver later arrested for battery

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A 31-year-old man crashed his Jaguar into the back of a Lee County school bus on Wednesday morning, hours later, he was arrested for domestic battery against his fiancée after walking three miles home from the crash scene.

Lee County deputies say Jacob Novak struck the school bus from behind at about 8:50 a.m. Wednesday in what Sheriff Carmine Marceno described as a "horrifying" crash captured on video.

The bus driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

"If you watch the video, it's horrifying, and it stops your heart, because you just pray everybody's okay," Marceno said during a press conference Thursday. "You see a Jaguar coming down pretty strong, fails to stop completely, fails to stop at all, and kind of slams into the back of the bus."

LCSO said after being treated for minor injuries at the crash scene, Novak left his damaged vehicle and walked approximately three miles to his residence. Investigators said once home, he got into an altercation with his fiancée that resulted in his arrest for domestic battery.

"He decides to walk three miles to his residence after crashing into the back of the bus. He walks, goes home, and gets into a domestic dispute with his fiancée and gets arrested for battery against his fiancée," Marceno said. "Literally, probably should have kept walking."

The domestic battery incident involved Novak pushing his fiancée, according to Marceno. A witness observed the altercation, leading to Novak's immediate arrest. The sheriff's office has not released information about whether the fiancée required medical treatment.

Novak is no stranger to law enforcement, court records show he has nine previous arrests on his record including battery charges, drug charges and a battery by strangulation charge.

The crash video shows Novak's vehicle approaching the school bus at significant speed with no apparent attempt to slow down or stop. Marceno estimated the vehicle could have been traveling around 40 mph at impact, though he cautioned that was only a rough estimate.

"There is no decrease in speed at any time. It's almost as if no one's in the vehicle," Marceno said. "Thank God. This could have been tragic."

No children were on the bus at the time of the crash.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office will evaluate the bus stop location as part of standard protocol, though Marceno said they have not identified previous safety issues at that particular stop.

He said the sheriff's office works closely with the school district on bus safety initiatives, including camera systems that have resulted in a more than 90% reduction in school bus violations.

"Making sure that our bus stops are safe and our children are safe is the number one priority," Marceno said.

The sheriff used the incident to remind drivers about the importance of paying attention behind the wheel and avoiding distractions like cell phones while driving.

"When you get in that car, leave yourself enough time and make sure you're paying attention," Marceno said. "The results could be devastating."

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