A student transportation driver in Harrisburg will serve nearly eight years in prison after pleading guilty to driving a school vehicle under the influence of prescription drugs last year, reported FOX 43.
Heather Shumberger, 41, pleaded guilty in January to four counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of endangering the welfare of children, two counts of DUI, and a summary traffic offense.
Shumberger was reportedly sentenced to a prison term of four months to just under eight years last week. Once her prison terms end, she will also serve a period of probation.
The incident reportedly occurred on Oct. 30, 2023, when police officers pulled over Shumberger after receiving multiple calls from other motorists concerned with her erratic driving.
According to the article, Shumberger was driving a school van, traveling well under the posted speed limit of 65 mph, and swerving in and out of traffic lanes.
Responding officers said Shumberger’s van was located and pulled over. She began to doze off while interacting with officers and was unable to perform the field sobriety test.
Four students ages 9 to 19-years-old were inside the van at the time of the incident. The students showed police a video that showed Shumberger swerving while driving.
Police also reportedly watched outward- and inward-facing dash camera footage from the school vehicle that provided additional evidence of her erratic driving. Another driver was assigned to pick up the students and safely transport them to their destination.
The news report states that blood test later showed that Shumberger had Xanax, Klonopin, Pristiq, Soma, Zyprexa, Effexor and Buprenorphine in her system at the time of her arrest.
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