ROCKLAND – The driver of the bus that fatally struck 12-year-old Brayden Callahan in Rockland on Nov. 21, 2025, pleaded not guilty to the charge of manslaughter in connection to the student’s death.

Jeffrey Colburn, 65, of Camden, who was arrested by Rockland Police on Jan. 15, made his initial court appearance at a hearing via Zoom held from the Two Bridges Jail in Wiscasset on Friday afternoon, Jan. 16.

Justice Patrick Larson presided at the hearing.

Colburn is represented by Attorney Jon Goodman of Scarborough.

The case has been filed in Knox County, but a Lincoln County grand jury in Wiscasset was in session during the past week and indicted Colburn Jan. 15 on the charge of manslaughter. The grand jury set his bail at $50,000 cash. 

During the Zoom hearing, District Attorney Natasha Irving recommended $100,000 unsecured bail.

An unsecured bail is defined as a type of bail bond that does not require the defendant to pay any money upfront. This method allows for a pre-trial release without an immediate financial burden, but to ensure that the defendant will return for their court appearances without requiring an upfront payment or a lien on property.

Justice Larson recommended that Colburn not be held in jail until his trial since the offense was not intentional. He suggested $2,000 cash bail which the defense attorney said was a very significant amount of money for Colburn since he was unemployed, but could be raised among his family members. The fact that Colburn is also a lifelong resident of Maine was considered during the discussion of the bail amount.

As a condition of bail, the prosecution requested that Colburn cannot operate commercial vehicles including a school bus and not have any contact with the parents of the child who died.

Since the time of the incident, Rockland Police, including Rockland’s Criminal Investigation Division have continued to work diligently on this investigation, working hand and hand with the Knox County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation included interviews of numerous witnesses, legal process and review of relevant records, consultation with subject matter experts and assistance from the Maine State Police, Bureau of Highway Safety, Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Maine Health & Environmental Testing Laboratory, Bureau of Motor Vehicles and RSU-13.

The investigation findings report has not yet been made available to the public.

Colburn is scheduled to appear in Knox County Court again on March 12 for a dispositional conference.

The dispositional conference is defined as a meeting with the prosecution, defense attorney, and judge to discuss the status of the case and explore possible resolutions, such as a plea agreement, before it goes to trial. It allows negotiation and discussion of case resolution options.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com