A woman who drives a school bus for a Utah school district was recently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. She could be facing charges for DUI once the official investigation is completed. Furthermore, the school district for which she works is conducting its own internal investigation, which means that the woman could also lose her job.
An aid and some special needs children were on the bus when police initiated the traffic stop on a recent Tuesday afternoon. However, no indication was given regarding what probable cause officers had to make the stop. The officers claim to have smelled alcohol when they spoke to the driver.
The 52-year-old woman was asked to exit the vehicle and participate in field sobriety tests. Officers claim she failed those tests, and she was taken into custody. She has also been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the official and the internal investigations. Some of the students on the bus were picked up by their parents, while others awaited the arrival of a substitute driver.
Whenever there are children involved in a suspected drunk driving incident, it is only natural for Utah residents to believe the worst about the person facing charges for DUI. However, every person is entitled to the right to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. It will be up to prosecutors to present evidence to the court that establishes that she is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If that does not happen, then a conviction cannot be handed down.
Source: fox13now.com, “Alpine School District bus driver arrested on suspicion of drunk driving“, Tiffany Demasters and Robert Boyd, March 8, 2016