A school bus driver in Minnesota is facing charges after a student reported smelling alcohol on their breath. The driver, William John Peterson, has been charged with child endangerment and driving under the influence.
On November 20th, a student in Maple Lake, which is about 50 miles from Minneapolis, told a school officer they thought the bus driver smelled like alcohol.
School officials and the bus company, M&M Bus Service, were contacted. The bus was stopped, and another driver was sent to finish the route. Court papers say there were several students under 16 on the bus.
A sheriff’s deputy met Peterson, who is 55 years old, at the bus garage. The deputy said Peterson’s eyes were watery and they could smell alcohol on his breath.
Peterson said he had taken NyQuil but denied drinking alcohol.
According to the documents, Peterson didn’t do well on a sobriety test. A breath test showed his blood alcohol content was 0.082. He was arrested and taken to jail.
In Minnesota, school bus drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system while driving.
After the incident, the school district sent a letter to families. Superintendent Mike Rowe said Peterson is no longer working as a bus driver.
Rowe said the school took action quickly to make sure the students were safe. Law enforcement was called, and another driver took over the route. All students are safe. M&M Bus Service said the driver has been removed from duty and the police are investigating.
