School Bus Driver Accused Of Driving Drunk With Students On Board
WESTAMPTON, N.J. (CBS) – A bus driver in Burlington County was arrested after police allege she was driving a school bus full of children while drunk.
Forty-six-year-old Carole Crockett is facing numerous charges in connection to the incident that occurred in Westampton Wednesday afternoon.
According to investigators, the incident began when students on the bus called their parents and told them that their bus driver was swerving and falling asleep at the wheel while she was driving.
"She almost hit a jogger," said 7th grader Dominic Rodrigues.
"She was like falling asleep, closing her eyes and we kept yelling to wake her up," said Simone Jordan who sits in the front of the bus.
The parents contacted officials at the Westampton Middle School, who in turn contacted the Westampton Township Police Department.
A vice principal could be heard telling the 911 operator, "Students said the bus is driving erratically and the bus driver threw up in a bag."
Officers searched for the bus and eventually found it at the Holly Hills School attempting to pick up more students.
Police took Crockett into custody and charged her with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Investigators say Crockett's blood-alcohol level was .25 percent, more than three times the state legal limit of .08.
Crockett has been charged with driving under the influence, driving under the influence on school property, endangering the welfare of 25 children, disorderly conduct -- putting others at risk, and 25 counts of driving under the influence of alcohol with a minor in the vehicle.
Crockett posted bail and has a court hearing on November 17th.
Reported by Steve Beck, CBS Philly; Robin Rieger, CBS 3
