HOPEWELL, Pa. — A Hopewell Township woman is fighting to get her job back after she was accused of driving a school bus carrying students while under the influence of alcohol in April.
Other school bus employees contacted Hopewell Area School District Superintendent Charles Reina after smelling alcohol on 53-year-old Patti Komack’s breath.
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According to the criminal complaint, her blood alcohol level was .042 at 8:17 a.m., which is when she would be about halfway through her morning route.
The limit for school bus drivers is 0.02 percent, which is one fourth of the limit for most other drivers.
Reina told Channel 11 News in May that the district operates its own bus system and that Komack, who worked in the district for 17 years, is no longer employed.
Steven Valsamidis, Komack’s attorney, is fighting the charges because he said police were never
called in for this incident. The district gave Komack a breathalyzer test.
“It was the district that handled the situation, and police were never call in. For that reason, we want this all thrown out,” said Valsamidis.
Valsamidis also said that Komack has a clean record and has never been in trouble with the law.
“She absolutely wants to work. There, or anywhere, she wants to work. But given the stigma associated with these charges, she’s having a hard time finding a new job right now,” said Valsamidis.
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