Police: Ambridge junior ROTC instructor showed up drunk to chaperone school event

AMBRIDGE. Pa. — Ambridge police said Carl Curtis, a junior ROTC instructor at Ambridge High School, showed up at the high school Sunday morning drunk and smelling of alcohol.  He was there to be a chaperone and driver of a school function, they said.
 
"I don't think he was thinking," said Police Chief Jim Mann.
 
Police said Curtis picked up a female student and brought her to the school before police cited him for public drunkenness.

“He had all the basic characteristics of someone under the influence,” said Mann.

Within just a few hours, police say they had three run-ins with Curtis -- two earlier at the American Legion, where he and his wife allegedly fought and then officers said he and school board president Mary Jo Kehoe fought.
 
Police believe Curtis left the bar intoxicated and a short time later, he picked up the student and went to the school.
 
It was Curtis' wife who told police she thought he was drunk and was going to be driving students to a school function, police said.
 
"She told us she couldn't live with herself if anything happened to those children," said Mann.
 
The school district said Curtis has been suspended and issued this statement:
 
"The safety of all junior ROTC students in the integrity of our Junior ROTC program is paramount and will be monitored closely.  It is unfortunate that a personal matter apparently escalated to create such an event."

• FREE APPS! | LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!

WPXI