19-year-old Jami Michele Marengo Accused Of Hit And Run, Covering Up Crash

A teen girl was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that involved a school bus with special-needs students.

Records show 19-year-old Jami Michele Marengo remained in the Gwinnett County jail on Thursday.

The crash happened Oct. 29 on Millwater Crossing in Dacula. GA Daily News reporter Manuel Bojorquez obtained a police report in which the driver of the school bus said Marengo was "holding a cell phone in front of her face" when she struck a mailbox and then crashed into the bus.

There were five children on the bus. Neither the children nor the driver were seriously injured.

This week, police issued an arrest warrant for her when new details emerged. Police said Marengo not only left the scene, but later dropped her car off in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on Hamilton Mill Road and reported it stolen.

The report said she confessed to making up the story.

"I'm glad (police) kept following up and found out who did it," said Scott Sondak, the father of one of the children on the bus. "Hopefully, it'll prevent it from happening again."

Marengo faced a hit-and-run charge as well as charges for failure to maintain lane, making false statements and obstruction of a police investigation.