DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A bad situation could have been much, much worse had it not been for the parents of some Bethel Elementary students.
The driver of a Bethel Local Schools bus carrying five students allegedly drove erratically Tuesday.
The Miami County Sheriff’s Office reported that they received multiple 911 calls, all describing a bus that was swerving across lanes and partially running off the roadway near the junction of U.S. Route 40 and State Route 202.
Upon arrival, a deputy found the bus stopped by a citizen. The vehicle was carrying 5 students inside it.
All five children were transferred to a different bus unharmed.
Through an initial investigation, it was found that the bus driver exhibited signs of impairment, such as unsteadiness and constricted pupils. With their consent, a blood sample was taken from the driver.
The sample results are pending.
A parent noticed her daughter was 20 minutes overdue, which led to increasing worry. Her daughter started sending voice messages via her Gizmo watch, an electronic device her parents supported her having at school for emergencies.
This parent then contacted another parent for assistance, who happened to be driving in the opposite direction when he observed the bus veering off the road and nearly falling into a ditch.
He drove in front of the bus and blocked it, asking the driver to stop driving and the children to be let off.
He remarked that the bus driver shut the door and drove away, continuing to swerve. He then followed in his car, intercepting her again and insisting that the children be released from the bus.
“I arrived a minute after he had detained the bus,” said the first parent. “I tried to get her off the bus. She wouldn’t open the door, despite the kids screaming for help. I will never forget those children’s faces, banging on the windows and pleading for me to help them.”
In a message sent to parents Tuesday obtained by 2 NEWS, Superintendent Michael Nutter said that the district is fully cooperating with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office.
The message reads:
Good evening. We had an incident with the driver of Bus #4 today, I apologize and I am deeply sorry for the worry this has caused, the inconvenience, and the late arrival home, all of which is unacceptable and will be dealt with. The one thing that I am thankful for is that all children were returned home safely. The Miami County Sheriff’s Office has taken the lead on this and started an investigation. The driver was put on administrative leave immediately and an investigation into this matter is now ongoing. Any and all information will now run through the Miami County Sheriff’s Office. We are fully cooperating with the authorities.
Michael Nutter, Superintendent, Bethel Local Schools
While they’re grateful for some communication, the parents said they have complained about the bus driver in the past and are disappointed they had to wait seven hours for a vague update. They say their children are traumatized.
“When she got off the bus, her words were, ‘I thought I was going to die,’ “ said a parent. “She had the fear of life in her eyes and face, hysterical to where it took over an hour to calm her down.”
The sheriff’s office said in a press release that it appreciates the quick response of the community.
An investigation is ongoing.
