It’s quite a common occurrence of a crash involving a school bus that another motorist is at fault
It just so happens that in the case of an SUV rear-ending a Cumberland County (N.C.) school bus last week resulted in the bus driver blowing a .20, nearly three times the legal limit. So, while a few of the kids were taken to a local hospital with some bumps and bruises, it could have been much worse, potentially, if the driver of the SUV hadn’t failed to reduce speed to avoid an accident and wasn’t operating a vehicle with a revoked license.
While investigating the crash, police smelled alcohol on the bus driver’s breath, ran a field sobriety test and arrested him. He is a substitute who was taking 18 kids home from school.
Said Al Miller, Cumberland’s transportation director, to a local paper: “For a person to come to school drunk … I wish I had the answer.”
So do I, and likely so does the entire pupil transportation industry.
It seems many of the news accounts I read of drunk school bus drivers involve those who are substitutes. And that’s a very scary thought considering how many substitute drivers are out there. The only thing I can think of that allows this type of incident to happen is that a driver decides to have a few cocktails on his day off and then receives a last-minute call to drive a route. I’m not saying it’s not a stupid move, but in this economy especially, and considering the low wages of most drivers, I guess the extra paycheck is too good to turn down. And it’s only a slight buzz.
How many times have we all heard that one?
And at what cost to not only the driver but the school district and the entire community? Certainly this particular driver’s days behind the school bus wheel are numbered. Still, I shudder to think what might have resulted had the SUV not rear-ended the bus.The driver could be facing a vehicle manslaughter charge, the school district millions of dollars worth of lawsuits, and some parents could see their lives turned upside down.
This all serves as a reminder to districts and bus companies everywhere that some people, including school bus drivers, will continue to make stupid decisions that risk numerous young lives.
