The Case of the Drunk School Bus Driver
April 2, 2010 by Kathy McManus
Chicago’s Breaking News Center blog reports that a school bus driver with three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system was allowed to complete her hour-plus route with 50 kids onboard because a supervisor said federal regulations prohibited him from stopping the driver without “actual knowledge” she was intoxicated.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, the 54-year-old driver for the school district of Mount Prospect, a suburb of Chicago, “had quaffed several vodka and orange juice drinks” and “reeked of liquor.” A co-worker who smelled alcohol on the driver before she started her route waited an hour to inform a supervisor. The supervisor caught up with the bus and boarded it, but since he “could not detect any signs that she was intoxicated” let her keep driving. He followed behind in his car and called police. More than fifteen minutes later, police pulled over the bus and arrested the driver—after the last child had been dropped off.
Mount Prospect School District officials said their hands were tied by federal rules limiting when supervisors can test employees for alcohol abuse. “It’s such a delicate decision, to make an accusation of this nature against somebody,” schools superintendant Elaine Aumiller told NBC Chicago. “You have to have compelling evidence that it is there, and it wasn’t.”
Tell us what you think: Are there cases in which following the letter of the law is irresponsible?
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171 Comments
What do you think? Leave a comment
May 4, 2010 by jasmin
i hate drunk drivers they killed my uncle
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July 3, 2010 by nate
oh im soo sorry
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July 6, 2010 by Linda
I drive for a school district in Pennsylvania. We would have been fired on the spot!!! Thank God no one was hurt or killed. Shame on this person!!!!
October 8, 2010 by umar
that is so stupid. a drunk school bus driver.
May 26, 2011 by brian
why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 7, 2011 by KATTIE
OOH ME TOO
July 30, 2010 by Jeremy Harnish
I am very tired of hearing about these bus drivers doing stupid stuff getting onto the bus drunk there should be no excuse for this type of behavior and in my opinion the police and school board of directors should be notified, I hate drunks and do not respect them no bus driver should be allowed to drive a bus ever again for this behavior and i hope was fired I hate hearing about these bus accidents endangering iniccent children no supervisor of that school unexceptable no supervisor should allow any bus drivers to finish that run unexceptable
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September 7, 2010 by nick
my grandmo is a bus driver ontario-montclair school district
August 13, 2011 by sarah ashley wilson
i agree with u he should be fired and i hope he is.
December 14, 2011 by Sandra Potter
I am a School Bus Driver and this is nonsence. First of all the so called co-worker should be delt with also for not turning in the driver before she even left the bus garage. The supervisor should be reprimanded for letting her finish the run and as far as the driver should of been FIRED ON THE SPOT when the so called supervisor got on the bus. Thank God noone got hurt. That's a LAW SUIT waiting to happen. Hope the parents think twice before putting their precious cargo on that bus again I know I would. This is really sad to hear this. I love my precious cargo and don't understand why she would even take the chance to drive the School Bus drunk. Does she think she is invisible and noone would know? Let me just say this NOT ALL SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ARE BAD!!!!!!
November 25, 2010 by Randy W.
I'm a schoolbus driver in Indiana, and nothing stirs me up more than this kind of behaviour. Letting this driver continue her route was an accident waiting to happen, not to mention the inevitable lawsuits to follow, had she had an accident with all of those children on board. That supervisor needs his head examined. Any doubts about the drivers driving competance would have made me pull her from behind the wheel, and to hell with the federal laws. You can pay a fine for making a mistake with the feds, but you can't replace a dead passenger on your bus. If this is indeed a federal law, there should be an amendment made to insure the safety of the passengers...
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September 29, 2011 by Pat
You are so right...It was pure insanity to allow that driver to cm0plete her run..Two heads should roll....
October 21, 2011 by njuguna muigai
This supervisor need to be fired immediatelly because he was alerted and he let the driver leap in the bus and go ahead,was she his girlfriend that why he didn,t take action in the first place.If an accident could have happened and thanks God it didn,t occur would he his stupid excuse help trying to their hands are tied by gorvement regulations, in other areas we use our common sense
February 21, 2011 by terrell
i think the same think
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December 3, 2011 by Sugarland
So you think it's just the thing to, violate Federal Law. It's people like you that are causing the USA to become lawless. Pick and chose which laws you choose to obey. Disregarding Federal Law makes you a criminal. Call the police like this person did.
March 18, 2011 by Kelsey Lucus
I know exactly how you feel. My uncle was killed by a teenage boy who was drunk and texting at the same time. My uncle was only 23 years old, and he was a police officer, he was killed in the line of duty. He had a beautiful baby girl coming on the way, and he died 1 week before she was born. He died last year, and I'm still greiving over him. I miss my uncle very much and we were extremely close.
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October 15, 2011 by bob e bunnie
texting while drunk, what a despicable nitwit.
October 22, 2011 by David Rumpy
The only accident I ever had was when I was texting and driving. DONT DO IT.
May 9, 2011 by Chet
Probable cause is what a reasonable person would believe a crime is being committed. In this case the supervisor believed the driver was under the influence of an intoxicant which prompted him to notify the police. Moreover, he had an obligation to the safety of the passengers, as well as other drivers and pedestrians on the roadway, by detaining the driver until an alcohol analysis could be substantiated.
You cannot use the law as an excuse to fail at the protection of life especially when the threat is immediate.
Chester Kittes
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November 2, 2011 by Anita J
I agree completely with what you said!! And the supervisor needs to be fired also for putting the lives of those children in jeapordy. No excuse. No hiding behind ambiguous laws. He failed miserably in his duty to regulate the safe transportation of the children.
August 7, 2011 by BLAZZ
SAME THING I HATE DRUNK DRIVERS
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August 13, 2011 by sarah ashley wilson
me two
January 4, 2012 by RON
yeah one killed my uncle too I was 18 at the time. I am now 65 and will never forget the call to my work to come home. He burned to death in the car and the drunk left the scene running didn't even try to get him out. Court let him go because they could n't prove he was driving his own car at the time.???
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May 4, 2010 by Judy
As a supervisor I would have put my job on the line to stop this drunk driver,parents trust the system and the system let them down.Thank God those students were not hurt.I hope this is never allowed to happen again.
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May 13, 2010 by kattie mae hammond greene
mr. supervisor I thank you for your comment. those kids didn't ask for that driver that's the one the superviser gave them and they had to go through that. again I say . THANKS.
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May 6, 2010 by lydia lopez
i think bus drivers should be tested for alchohol and drugs every week,
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June 19, 2010 by sjdbus39 safety
It would be nice if districts could do this. However, it would cost a fortune in which most districts could not afford.
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August 9, 2010 by Counselor Counselet
Dumb answer for not taking safety measures before the life of a child. As a mother, grandmother and a person that has the interest in the quality of human lives, it is time common sense took over instead of the memory that studied hard to get the diploma that put that person in the job they have right up to its supervisor.
April 27, 2011 by Jimmy Bouche
I think anyone should be aloud to drive drunk bc its there choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 8, 2011 by sjdbus39
It is not a dumb answer but a fact! It will stay that way until districts get more funding and budget cuts are continuing within all public schools. Transportation is always first on the list of budget cuts and will be the last on the list to get funding back. However, I agree 100%!!!! Drivers should be tested every week! But....It's not going to happen at this point! Sadly, such enforcement "might happen" if "God forbid" a child is injured or killed for such actions. I hope this never happens! The percentage and statistics of it happening again in conjunction with the amount it would cost to have this type of policy in place (drug testing every driver once a week) would be astronomical.
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December 3, 2011 by Daniel
That would be illegal, but they do fall under the FMCSR and are subject to Random testing.
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December 14, 2011 by sandy
Here where I drive school bus we get ramdomly picked ever 2 to 3 monthes and you never know when it's your turn. I do agree with you and that if there is a suspicion you should be tested right on the spot. We have an accident whether it's our fault or not we get tested for drug and alcohol
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May 13, 2010 by kattie mae hammond/greene
I have been driving a school bus for 20 years. I don't drink and I don't like people that do. This driver if she was in my place of work here in Georgia she would have been fired on the spot. She could have killed some children just in that time and let do her route, and then arrest her. HA,HA, shame on you supervisor you should be fired for letting her driver.
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May 21, 2010 by ARonda Thompson
I am a transportation Supervisor for a School System in AZ. This driver should never been allowed to drive once she was reported. Drugs and alcohol are a ZERO tollerance with my drivers and you would have lost your job and CDL for endangering these children Very Very sad this was allowed to happen
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May 25, 2010 by Angie
I agree its crazy. People are crazy in this world and we need ti find a way to stop them from doing bad.
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May 21, 2010 by PATRICE CANNON
Well, this situation makes you angry when you think about it. first, I blame the co-worker for waiting an hour to report the bus driver and I blame the supervisior for letter the driver finish her route. The 3 of them should be fired. You don't take childrens life for granted. Life is precious and so are our youth for today.
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July 29, 2010 by JT0501
number 1: WHY should the CO WORKER be fired??? number 2: I don't smoke ANYTHING but if I go in a club or a casino or anywhere people are smoking cigarettes or illegal drugs, I will come out smelling 100% like that environment. You must be careful what you accuse people of. SMELLING may be good proof but sometimes you need to SEE. Yes, maybe THIS driver HAD been drinking but on the other hand....what if she didn't have an ounce of alcohol in her system and they just "fired her on the spot". Just because the driver SMELL like something wasn't proof that she had been INVOLVED in it.
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October 20, 2010 by margaret
if she smells it must be true wake up did you do that too makes a person wonder about you?????????????????
August 28, 2011 by MARGARET AYALA
i HAVE DRIVEN SCHOOL BUSES FOR OVER 30 YEARS. THE CO-WORKER SHOULD BE FIRED FOR NOT LETTING HER SUPERVISOR KNOW THAT THE OTHER DRIVE SMELLED OF BOOZE. THE DRUNK DRIVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BUS JUST BECAUSE OF THE SMELL. SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN ALCOHOL TEST, AND IF SHE WAS FOUND TO HAVE ANY ALCOHOL IN HER SYSTEM, THEN FIRED. THEN SUPERVISOR SHOULD BE FIRED FOR BEING AN IDIOT AND LETTING HER CONTINUE TO DRIVE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ALLOWING HER TO DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUNENCE!!!
September 30, 2011 by lukebandit
Are you insane? When the SB driver finished the route after a long time the SOff got on the bus, the driver was still 3 x over the legal limit! The SO should of called the police when he got on the bus and drove the kids home himself. He was so afraid he was going to lose his job. How would he feel after a bad wreck and several kids were killed or burned up in a crash and having to go to several funerals? Having to face their parents? Nightmare is not the word. Should of stopped this drunk from driving. the co worker waited an hour before notifying the supervisor. i guess her conscience kept eating away at her, thinking well i better say something to cover my @ just in case they all get killed! the driver, co worker and the supervisor who allowed the drunk to continue the route should all get fired! dang people!
October 8, 2011 by Jackie R Barnes
Where there is smoke there is usually fire!!!
October 27, 2011 by Nancy
First of all, YOU ARE NUTS!!! Just because you go into a club doesn't mean you will come out smelling like alcohol unless you drank alcohol or someone spilled it on you in which case most NORMAL people would change their clothes. Yes, you will smell like smoke but I've never came out of a club smelling like alcohol unless I drank alcohol, in which case you should not be driving. Second, we are talking about childrens lives here. I drive a school bus and no one said the driver was going to be fired on the spot unless they actually were under the influence. The driver who smelled it should have reported it right then, not waited an hour and putting innocent lives at jeopardy. The supervisor after receiving the report from the driver who smelled it should have pulled that driver off the bus until a drug test could be performed. I don't know what the supervisor thought he could do by following the bus, that definitely would have made the driver more nervous thus increasing chances of an accident.
Also, don't put all school bus drivers into a fishbowl with this intoxicated driver. Most of us don't drink and we have one thing on our minds, the safety of "OUR" kids. Yes, the true school bus driver considers every kid on that bus theirs and protects them with their life.
Proud school bus driver in Missouri!
September 6, 2010 by sarah Jones
How does everyone feel about a school bus mechanic being drunk on the job while fixing the buses the children ride on. we have 6 buses red flagged for brakes this spring and no one is listening to me. a lot of drivers drive buses with brakes that they feel are not operating right for fear of being punished for writing it up. I am appalled but now I am being victimized for standing up for what is right.
annonymous
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September 16, 2010 by brandy newby
i agree its apaling to me that you become known as a trouble maker when you continue to write up bus defects that are a hazard to our childrens safety and my career as a bus driver. its sad but true money always seems to win over our kids and elders!!! tell me who really cares anymore??? iam disallusioned !!!
September 30, 2011 by lukebandit
call a local tv station and get them to do a report on it. they would jump on it. they could at least go to the school and ask them about it. then they would roll heads.
October 5, 2011 by susan appleseed
I had the same thing happen to me. I was labelled a trouble maker and sent for psych evaluations and drug testing when i don't even take so much as an aspirin. that was such a waste of money. Not being able to afford testing is not the issue here. they wasted huge amounts of money trying to find ways to fire me because I pointed out the mechanics are drinking on the job. Nobody seems to care about that. they shamefully only care about losing their own jobs. Other drivers knew this too but choose to turn a blind eye to it. Just a hand full of us were willing to come forward and then they only found the man as being grumpy. It is down right disgraceful what nearly happened and it costs our district a huge amount of money in loss of buses sold for nearly nothing because the repairs and maintenance were not kept up. this happens everywhere. why is nothing done. There were things covered up that if the public only knew they would be horrified.
January 4, 2012 by ron
You can report it to the whistle blower hot line every stat has one...or email the Attorney General in your state government it is against the Federal law to be under the influence while engaging in ANY TYPE OF WORK while driving or just sitting on or working on a CDL vehicle that is in the FMCSR Federal guidelines it covers anyone involved in the functions of a Commercial vehicle... I work for a school district as a trainer and this driver would have been put in jail!!! the Supervisor sucks for not doing their job too! there is a rule where the driver can be called in for suspicion and tested...hit me on craigsllist missed hookups Ill give you a place to call....
August 9, 2011 by Edith Fletcher
I agree 100% with your comment! I wonder how many times things like this happen or happened and was just swept under the rug!! The Famileys of innocent victims never new what happened !I have a very bad spine ! but can still drive and refuse to take anything that alters my mind and get behind the wheel of my car omg. How do people taking chances ever sleep at night,! God bless people who stand up for whats right!
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May 23, 2010 by Malik Evans
i am a student and if i was riding on that bus i would have sued the supervisor!
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May 26, 2010 by cu2morrow960
Thanks for putting that out there. The co-worker was so wrong for not reporting it sooner, and I bet you the co-worker knew the driver was a drinker. When it was reported to the supervisor they should have checked the driver out and if they found it to be questionable remove the driver and call in a replacement. Perhaps the supervision shouldn't be fired, but spoken too for sure. What if it was there child, grand child, neice or family member on the bus being driven around by a drunk! Times are different than 20 or 30 years ago there are more vehicles on the road with young and older drivers we must be more responsible for our actions.
However; we are on the outside looking in and don't know the complete situation.
God was with the all
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June 25, 2010 by mel
I can not belive that someone would do something like that? what the HELL! MAN!
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September 30, 2011 by Annette
if the district can't afford it then make drivers pay for it themselves. It would save lives. when they apply this would be listed in the requirements for the job. it would serve 2 purposes they wouldn't drink beause it would cost THEM money.
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October 5, 2011 by susan smelding
I was labeled a trouble maker when I reported our bus mechanics drinking on the job. we all knew it but no one would do anything. I reported defects in repairs and was sent for a psch evaluation not once but twice then they sent me for a drug test that cost nearly 1,500. dollars. Nepotism protects all kinds of things in school systems. It should not be allowed but it is. Just because it is wrong doesn't mean it will change. we nearly had some near fatal incidents yet they were quickly covered up and brushed under the rug. Thank god the one drunk has retired. The school system is a joke. No one cares about the children and our union is a joke they helped cover it up and nearly got me fired. I pay union dues and for what, to be misrepresented. People have no idea what goes on. Mechanics are not required to be drug and alcohol tested like school bus drivers are. I think that should be changed. If it was the children would be safer.
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May 31, 2010 by barbara green
I can not belive that anyone with good sense would take a drink of alcohol i've been driving a bus for 35 yrs. the county that work would not havelether even step on that bus if some one had called and told a superor what was wrong with her boss something need too done with both of them i work in loudoun county school state of virginia
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June 2, 2010 by Ron Armstrong
The Supervisor is a perfect example of the wussy, lily-livered, politically correct rot that is corroding our society today. The fear of "potential" rule infraction was obviously worse than the fear of innocent children being maimed or killed. Co-workers had seen the driver quaff---not sip--several screwdrivers in the staff room. What more does he need to know? Obviously that vodka doesn't smell, and that alcoholics can disguise their habit and function "normally"---look at Diane Schuyler. I'd fired her on the spot, not follow her for an hour like some nervous little boy(she was much older than him and he was new to the job)then call the police to do the dirty work. Pathetic.
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October 26, 2010 by joe
This person is sooooooooooooo way off the real story. Don't believe everything you read dork! I am here in chicago and know all involved and they are not reporting the story correctly.
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November 27, 2011 by mrs. towns
so what really happened, then? you claim that the events have been misrepresented, and that you know the "real" story...why not set the record straight? or is it simply that you are friends with one or more of the people involved and feel that you must defend them (albeit very weakly, since you offer no alternative theory)? perhaps some of the details have been altered or misconstrued, but obviously SOMETHING happened considering this has been brought to national attention. that being said, i hope each and every one of the parents of those innocent children sue the entire district for reckless endangerment. i am a mother of three and were it one of my children on that bus, being fired and going to jail would be the LEAST of that driver's worries!
September 30, 2011 by lukebandit
Amen and Amen RON! thank you! perfect post!
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June 3, 2010 by Colleen
Why didn't the supervisor FIRST call the police, give them the route she drove, THEN follow the bus driver?
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February 11, 2011 by Richard
I agree. Coming from an 11-year school bus driver, I think the police would make a better call on a drunk driver than a supervisor. I was actually reported in my personal vehicle on a Saturday night in 2006 and the police followed me all the way to my apartment. They never used their lights or sirens, and I never swerved, and used turn signals when needed. I think the police figured out it was false call made by the the person who reported me. You can't always believe everything you hear. I have had a couple of school bus drivers who had wanted me fired bad; just over skin color and jealousy.
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June 7, 2010 by barry
my goodness what if the coworkers child was on that bus here's your sign.
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