On Oct. 13, a woman school bus driver was allegedly driving under the influence while transporting students and parents acting as chaperons on a field trip (“DUI suspected by school bus driver in Utah,” Oct. 20, 2014). She was accused of DUI, and her driver’s license was suspended. Now, through her criminal defense counsel, she is petitioning the court to reinstate her driver’s license.
According to documents filed with the court, the 39-year-old woman was suffering from a migraine that day. It was the pain of her migraine, along with numerous radio calls, that led to her erratic driving, not the consumption of alcohol or drugs. The day following her arrest, the woman went to the doctor and was given a shot for her migraine.
One of the side effects of the medication she was given is memory loss. The woman claims that she lost her memory and was not cognizant of the fact that she should have requested a review of the suspension of her driver’s license within 10 days. As soon as she became aware of the deadline, she filed her request. Since it was considered to have been filed late, it was denied. She is now asking the court to allow her to attempt to get back both her personal and commercial licenses.
As for a potential DUI charge, officials claim there was not enough of a blood sample to determine whether she was impaired on the day she was arrested. Officers claim that she failed field sobriety tests, and that she was in possession of several medications, which they cannot confirm that she took due to the failed toxicology test. To date, no formal charges have been filed by Utah prosecutors, which could also bolster her case to have her licenses reinstated.
Source: sltrib.com, “Utah bus driver accused of DUI wants her driver’s license back“, Jessica Miller, Dec. 16, 2014