A school bus driver from Longview School District in Washington was arrested on Sept. 12 for driving under the influence. The driver had already completed two bus runs that afternoon, said KREM2.
A caller to 911 claimed that a school bus driver appeared to be intoxicated. Emergency dispatchers coordinated with the school district to compel the driver to stop.
KGW8 later stated that the call to 911 was placed by a student, who minutes earlier had exited the school bus. The student reportedly said in the call that the driver was drunk and ran three red lights.
When he arrived at home, the boy talked with his mother about the incident and then made the 911 phone call. News reports said that students were still on the bus at that time.
Responding police officers noted that they smelled an obvious odor of alcohol when they pulled the vehicle over. Catherine L. Maccarone, 48, is now facing charges of a DUI and two counts of reckless endangerment.
KGW8 added that a police report stated Maccarone’s blood-alcohol level was just above 0.09. The legal limit for commercial drivers in Washington state is 0.02.
Maccarone could also face termination from the school district, but the punishment depends on the outcome of the investigation.
Editor’s Note: An original version of this story was published on Sept. 16. The latest version includes newly-released information.
