A school bus aide, who was behind the wheel transporting a dozen special needs students when it crashed into a tree, will make her first court appearance next week.

According to an Essex County assistant prosecutor, Lisa Byrd will make her first court appearance next Wednesday, Feb. 27.

Byrd is charged with 12 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, driving while impaired and possession of drug paraphernalia, although News 12 New Jersey does not know what specifically she allegedly had on her.

Byrd, who is an Aide for F&A Transport, which is a Contract Bus company for the Newark School District, was driving the bus this past Wednesday when it crashed.

A bus company representative told News 12 that Byrd did indeed drive the bus that day because the actual bus driver was not there, adding Byrd made the decision on her own to drive that day.

According to police, they had to administer narcan to Byrd when they arrived at the scene of the accident, as it appeared she had overdosed.

However, the F&A transportation rep says he believed Byrd may have had a Diabitic episode rather than overdosed on drugs.

Narcan has been used in Diabetic emergencies in the past.

The students on the bus ranged from ages five to 13-years-old. 

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported.