Ex-bus driver blamed for Wallkill vandalism

Posted 11/23/22

Jason Hepper, 33, of Walden was arrested on November 20 by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department for his role in damage to the Wallkill Central School District’s Administrative Offices …

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Ex-bus driver blamed for Wallkill vandalism

Posted

Jason Hepper, 33, of Walden was arrested on November 20 by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department for his role in damage to the Wallkill Central School District’s Administrative Offices located on Route 208 on Sunday, November 20.

The sheriffs office released the following statement on their official Facebook page for public viewing: “On November 20, 2022 at approximately 1:15 a.m., deputies observed a vehicle strike the Wallkill Central School District Administration building on State Route 208 in the hamlet of Wallkill and then attempt to leave the area. Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the operator refused to stop. The vehicle continued a short distance into the hamlet of Wallkill and crashed into a telephone pole near the intersection of Bona Ventura Avenue and Lavoletta Street. The operator of the vehicle, Jason D. Hepper, 33, of Walden, sustained injuries from the crash and was transported to Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown for treatment. The investigation is still ongoing at this time. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the New York State Police, Wallkill Fire Department, Wallkill Ambulance and Mobile Life Support Services.”

A Facebook post later shared photos of Wallkill Senior High School and John G. Borden Middle School main entrance ways that also had received damage allegedly caused by Hepper. Wallkill Superintendent of Schools Kevin Castle said the sheriff’s department is currently investigating the situation and the district has met with the school’s engineering firm to repair the damage to the school.

“We had damage at our front entrances at the middle school, high school and district office in the early hours of Sunday morning. It was a very unfortunate incident but we’re very thankful that no one was in the buildings at the time,” Castle stated. “We proactively called the local police departments, the county and state to ask for additional presence in our buildings. And we saw that today, [Monday, November 21] so we’re very appreciative of their support.”

According to Castle, Hepper was a former employee of Orange County Transit and was last employed in June of 2022. Orange County Transit is the transportation company that the district contracts out.

Orange County Transit was contacted for a statement but was not heard back from in time of this report.