A Bethel Park school bus driver is charged with driving students while drunk.
Police say the Bethel Park High School boys’ volleyball team was on the bus last Friday when the driver started driving erratically.
A driver who had been following the bus noticed it was swerving and called police.
Officers met the bus at the high school where they say the volleyball coach told them the driver smelled of alcohol and ignored pleas to pull over.
“The drivers I’ve met have been very responsible, but I’m sure, like in every industry, you have some people who make really awful, irresponsible decisions,” Bryce McMinn said. He is a parent of a student athlete at Bethel Park.
Police say they found an empty water bottle in driver Jeanne Bennett’s purse that smelled of alcohol.
The 68-year-old eventually admitted she’d been drinking.
According to court paperwork, Bennet told officers she drinks to “self-medicate” and knows she should not be driving but the district needs drivers.
“I’m sure the district is going to be taking these things seriously. Yes, I’ve got a student athlete and I’d be pretty upset if I learned the bus driver was driving while intoxicated,” McMinn said.
The district is taking action. The administration sent a message to parents saying in part:
“One of our district school bus drivers was arrested on a charge of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) while transporting high school student-athletes home from a game. Law enforcement intervened, and the driver was immediately removed from service. All students were safely transported and accounted for, and each affected family was contacted. This individual is no longer permitted to transport Bethel Park students.”
The statement goes on to say the district is conducting a full review of the incident and oversight procedures.
Bennett is facing more than 50 charges, including 17 felonies for endangering the welfare of children.
Paperwork shows she bonded out of jail and is due in court on May 14th.
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