By the time he allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel of a bus carrying 18 schoolchildren, a Minnesota bus driver had racked up a host of traffic violations and concerns about his attentiveness, according to the Star Tribune.
Under Minnesota law, the violations weren’t serious enough to warrant termination of his bus driving privileges. Bille Bus Transportation assured the public they would have never hired the driver had it known about his record. Had they known, the company wouldn’t have allowed him behind the wheel him to drive. Bille Bus Transporation had cleared Wasuge for employment, utilizing a company that conducts background checks.
Only after the crash, did the company learn that the driver had failed to provide a signed consent form that would allow it to complete a full background check. Two students and an adult bus monitor were briefly hospitalized.
