Pennsylvania school bus driver accused of driving drunk with 54 kids

A Pennsylvania school bus driver accused of driving 54 elementary school children more than four times the legal alcohol limit swerved through traffic and nearly hit vehicles before the bus crashed into a snowbank, authorities said.

On Tuesday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Douglass County Police Chief Robert B. Evans announced an arrest warrant has been issued for Kelly Weber, 46, of Boyertown.

Weber is charged with driving under the influence; The 54 are each charged with endangering the welfare of children, reckless endangerment and related offenses.

Around 4 p.m. on Feb. 6, police were alerted to a school bus driving erratically and narrowly missing other vehicles, authorities said.

A police officer who responded later saw the bus stopped in a snowbank.

Investigators said officers found an open 750ml bottle of Tito’s vodka, two empty 50ml bottles and a receipt showing the alcohol had been purchased earlier that morning.

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A school bus driver in Pennsylvania is accused of driving 54 children with a .331% BAC before coming to rest in a snowbank. He faces drunken driving and 54 child endangerment charges. (iStock)

According to authorities, a blood test showed Weber’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.331%, more than four times the legal limit of 0.08%, and Delta-9 Carboxy THC was detected.

Investigators said there were 54 children on the bus, including five under the age of 6. Authorities said many children called or texted their parents during the trip because they were afraid of driving, and one child got off at an earlier stop and was picked up by his parents.

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A school bus driver in Pennsylvania is accused of driving 54 children with a .331% BAC before coming to rest in a snowbank. He faces drunken driving and 54 child endangerment charges. (iStock, File)

“More than 50 minors were faced with a dangerous situation created by this defendant, who chose to consume a significant amount of alcohol and then get behind the wheel of a school bus and drive for miles while intoxicated,” Steele said. he said. “We are all grateful that this defendant did not crash into the bus and cause further harm to these children.”

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Authorities said Weber checked himself into a rehabilitation center after the incident. He is expected to surrender for trial and will be released on bail at that time.

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