Campus Alert Archive
Brandeis

The Branvan That Hit Two Trees on South Street

MAotheradvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Late on the night of November 19, 2022, a Brandeis University shuttle (a 'Branvan') returning students from Boston crashed on South Street in Waltham, striking two trees. Undergraduate Vanessa Mark, 25, was killed and 26 others were injured. Investigators later alleged the driver was speeding at 52 mph in a 30 mph zone and had logged excessive hours; he was charged with motor vehicle homicide.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Brandeis University
Private R1 · MA
~5,800 studentsBrandeisALERT
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction306 chars
We are writing to share the tragic news that a university shuttle was involved in a serious crash in Waltham late this evening. Multiple members of our community were transported to area hospitals. Counseling and support services are being mobilized. We will share more information as it becomes available.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed text reflecting Brandeis's overnight community message; the university confirmed several hours after the crash that 27 people, mostly students, were taken to hospitals and one had died.
The crash involved a university-operated shuttle (the campus 'Branvan' / Joseph's Transportation contract service), making this a transportation-safety incident on a public road rather than a Clery campus-crime warning.
Marked unconfirmed because the exact wording of Brandeis's notification could not be retrieved in this environment.
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Approximate reconstruction273 chars
It is with profound sadness that we confirm a member of our community died in last night's shuttle crash. Twenty-six others were injured and are being treated. The university is providing grief counseling, and we ask the community to care for one another in the days ahead.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed follow-up reflecting Brandeis's confirmation that one person died and 26 were injured, consistent with the figures reported by WBUR and CNN.
The victim, Vanessa Mark, 25, was an undergraduate on leave returning from a trip with friends; the university initially withheld the name pending family notification.
This message functions as a bereavement and resource notification, not a hazard alert, since the danger had ended at the scene.
Context

Background

The crash happened at about 10:30 PM EST on Saturday, November 19, 2022, when a Brandeis shuttle returning to campus crashed on South Street in Waltham and struck two trees. CNN reported that one person was killed and 26 injured in the rollover-type wreck. The deceased was identified as 25-year-old undergraduate Vanessa Mark. A 2023 Boston Globe report said federal records showed the driver, Jean Fenelon, 58, was traveling 52 mph in a 30 mph zone and had logged more than 73 hours over eight consecutive days, beyond federal limits; NBC Boston reported he was later charged with motor vehicle homicide. Brandeis's community notifications, reconstructed here, focused on confirming casualties and mobilizing grief support rather than warning of an ongoing threat.
Analysis

Key Findings

A Brandeis shuttle crashed on South Street in Waltham at about 10:30 PM EST on November 19, 2022, killing undergraduate Vanessa Mark and injuring 26
Investigators alleged the driver was speeding (52 in a 30 zone), failed to brake, and had logged more than 73 hours over eight days, exceeding federal limits
The driver was later charged with motor vehicle homicide; the incident raised questions about university shuttle-contractor oversight
Both reconstructed notifications are honestly marked isVerbatimConfirmed:false because the verbatim BrandeisALERT/email text could not be recovered
Outcome
One Brandeis undergraduate, Vanessa Mark, 25, was killed and 26 others injured. The university issued community notifications overnight and through the next day. Massachusetts State Police found the driver was traveling 52 mph in a 30 mph zone and failed to brake; he was later charged with motor vehicle homicide.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    1 dead, 27 injured in Brandeis University shuttle bus crash in Waltham - WBUR
    wbur.org
  2. News
    Brandeis University bus accident: One person killed in rollover incident near Massachusetts campus - CNN
    cnn.com
  3. News
    Driver in fatal crash of Brandeis shuttle was speeding, federal records say - The Boston Globe
    bostonglobe.com
  4. News
    Driver charged in 2022 shuttle bus crash that killed Brandeis student - NBC Boston
    nbcboston.com
Tags
transportationshuttle-crashmassachusettsstudent-deathcommunity-notificationwaltham
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion