A Maryland school bus driver was charged with driving under the influence while driving a bus on Thursday, according to a report.
Cecil County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) accused 60-year-old Cecil County school bus driver Susan Small of driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing a school bus into a ditch around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, reported CBS.
Small crashed the bus near Cecil Street and Market Street in Charlestown when she hit a guardrail, causing her to wreck into a ditch, the report said. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
JUST IN: A school bus driver in Cecil County is charged with driving under the influence after she crashed a bus into a ditch Thursday, officials said. https://t.co/Cr6W5JyNy6
— WJZ | CBS Baltimore (@wjz) December 23, 2022
A Cecil County Public Schools spokeswoman, Kelly Keeton, said Small was driving an empty school bus to Charlestown Elementary School to pick up students for afternoon pick-up and drop-off when she wrecked into the ditch, the Cecil Daily reported.
“Per Maryland law, an individual who is driving a school bus while under the influence is subject to the revocation of their certification and termination of employment (13A.06.07.07). While this particular driver is the employee of a bus contractor and not the direct employee of CCPS, this driver will no longer be driving for CCPS. We will continue to support the bus contractor as they work through what is a very serious personnel matter,” Keeton said, according to the Cecil Daily.
Before the crash, Small drove an unknown number of high school students from North East High School to their homes, Keeton said. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Youngkin Pulls Virginia From Location Consideration In Chinese Deal With Ford)
“When deputies arrived on the scene, they detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the bus driver. She was asked to perform field sobriety tests, and they were not done to the satisfaction of the deputy,” CCSO spokesman Lt. Michael Holmes told the Cecil Daily.
Deputies arrested Small for reckless driving after the crash when she failed a field sobriety test, and her breath smelled of alcohol, the Cecil Daily reported. Holmes said Small was released “into the care of a family member” after being charged with a DUI, failure to drive right of the centerline, reckless driving, and negligent driving, according to the report.