West Virginia bus driver charged with DUI in rollover crash that injured students
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A West Virginia bus driver was charged with driving under the influence after a rollover crash injured multiple students.
Jeffrey Brannon was charged with DUI causing bodily injury and child neglect resulting in serious injury, according to WOWK-TV. The TV station reported that more charges are expected against the 54-year-old man.
First responders were called on Monday at around 6 p.m. to West Virginia Route 16 in Calhoun County for a report of a crash. Officials said 19 students from Calhoun County Middle/High School between the ages of 11 and 18 were on the bus when Brannon crashed, WOWK-TV reported.
More than a dozen students were reportedly injured in the crash, including one student suffering a broken vertebrae. As of Tuesday, the TV station reported that three students remain hospitalized. The exact number of injuries is unknown.
State police said, according to WOWK-TV, that Brannon's blood alcohol level was 0.127 percent at the time of the crash. The legal limit in West Virginia is 0.08 percent. According to a criminal complaint obtained by WOWK-TV, Brannon was aggressive and yelling when state police arrived at the scene. Troopers said, according to the document, that they could smell alcohol on his breath.
Calhoun County Superintendent Michael Fitzwater, according to the TV station, said that the district is working with the West Virginia Department of Education "to ensure Mr. Brannon never again operates a school bus for Calhoun County or any other school system."
Brannon is being held at the Central Regional Jail on a $250,000 bond, the TV station reported. The crash is under investigation.