A school bus driver in Long Island, New York was caught drinking while transporting students home last week. The driver claims she did not know White Claws were an alcoholic beverage, reported Nypost News.
According to the news report, 60-year-old Amal Hanna is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, which she said leaves her unable to taste alcohol in a drink.
Hanna reportedly told police that she had grabbed a hard seltzer without realizing it was alcoholic. She said she grabbed a White Claw from the refrigerator she shares with a roommate and thought the can was a regular fruit-flavored seltzer.
Hanna told local news reporters, “For people like me that don’t drink, how are they going to know this is alcohol?” she asked, then pointed to the can’s warning in small print.
A spokesperson for Suffolk County Police Department said via the article that police believe her story and Hanna will not be charged. However, she was fired from her job at WE Transport Inc. after 15 years of service.
A parent stated via the article that Hanna is very sweet, and kind and they believe it was a an honest mistake. Hanna is now reportedly not sure how she will be able to support herself amid chemo.
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