Northern Minnesota school bus driver suspected of DWI blew BAC of 0.16, sheriff says
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — Just two days into the academic year, a northern Minnesota school bus driver is accused of drunken driving with students on board.
The driver, a 44-year-old man, allegedly blew a preliminary BAC of 0.16 — double the legal limit.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says just after midnight on Wednesday, a concerned citizen reported the bus driver had been consuming alcohol while off duty and they worried he would not be sober in time for his bus route.
When deputies made contact with the man at 6 a.m., he allegedly told them he would not be working that day. The school district had been notified but about an hour later, the district told the sheriff's office the bus driver had started his route.
Deputies located the bus on Independence Road north of Seville Road and pulled it over without incident, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities arrested the driver for suspicion of second-degree DWI. At the time of his arrest, there were 17 children on the bus. All of the children were students at South Ridge School in Culver.
The sheriff's office says parents were notified of the incident.
Minnesota statute prohibits a person from being under the influence of any amount of alcohol while operating a school bus.