At the conclusion of the school day on March 8, one of the school bus drivers had their vehicle filled with a total of 50 students from Gauley River Elementary and Richwood High School that he was driving home.
According to reports, the driver spoke to a second driver before departing on his route, and he allegedly told him he felt like he was too intoxicated to drive. The other driver reportedly did not try to prevent him from leaving with the bus full of kids.
The driver reportedly had a near-crash with another vehicle on the road, and it appeared as if he lost control of the bus more than once.
A teacher’s aide reportedly encountered the bus and saw it being driven unsafely, and she notified the authorities.
The State Police responded, and when they spoke to the 33-year-old driver, he allegedly told them he “had a lot on his mind,” and had consumed six beers before driving the bus full of children.
It was reported that the man took three sobriety tests, and the police determined he had a blood-alcohol level of .118.
The driver was taken into custody and booked into the West Virginia Central Regional Jail, and he posted a $3,000 bond for his release.
The president of the Nicholas County Board of Education reported that the board viewed surveillance footage from the time of the incident, and they allegedly saw both drivers inside the bus.
After a unanimous vote of 5-0, both drivers were fired from their jobs.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a DUI offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.