Alabama school bus driver charged with DUI after wreck
None of the students on board were injured, but school system faces some tough questions
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WDEF) – A school bus driver in north Alabama has been charged with DUI after a wreck on Monday.
It happened in Madison County near Huntsville.
There were 10 students from Sparkman Middle school on board when the bus hit another vehicle and went into a field.
None of the students were hurt.
WHNT-TV reported the school system told them the driver had a “medical emergency” at the time of the crash.
But on Tuesday, Alabama troopers say the driver failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the hospital for more tests.
They ultimately charged the driver with being under the influence.
To make things worse, school officials now admit they had been warned that the driver was acting erratically.
They even sent someone to check on the driver, who let the driver keep going before the crash.
Here is the statement issued by Superintendent Ken Kubik:
In full disclosure, a concerned resident contacted our MCSS Transportation Department earlier in the afternoon to report the bus was being driven in an unusual manner for Madison Cross Roads Elementary School. MCSS sent a trusted employee to meet the bus driver to check on them. While meeting with the driver along the way and at SMS, the employee did not observe anything unusual with the driver’s demeanor. The driver in question is experienced and has been with MCSS for a year without incident. The driver said they had not been feeling well over the weekend. After watching and talking to the driver for a few minutes, the employee allowed the driver to continue the route.
To be clear, MCSS would never knowingly allow an impaired driver to operate a school bus. MCSS is evaluating transportation procedures to prevent this from happening in the future. I assure you that this behavior has no place in our school district, and we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff.
The driver’s job status is “pending disciplinary review.”
