School bus driver arrested, accused of driving drunk with kids aboard

A school bus driver was arrested earlier this week for allegedly driving with a blood-alcohol level that was double the legal limit — and students on board.

The Manitoba First Nation Police Service detachment in Waywayseecappo First Nation was called Monday about a possibly impaired driver operating a school bus on Procure Road in the First Nation.

West and north district operations Insp. Darryl Hunter said the call from a band office employee came in around 9:30 a.m. The employee had an interaction with the driver, Hunter said, and thought he was intoxicated.

“It is very concerning,” said Hunter. “When we send our kids to school, we don’t want them to be faced with those kind of difficulties. I’m just glad nothing happened to anybody or the children.”

The inspector did not know how many children were on the bus at the time or where exactly the bus was headed, though he assumed it was to Waywayseecappo Community School.

The First Nation is located about 150 kilometres northwest of Brandon, south of Riding Mountain National Park.

“We’re glad somebody was able to identify it and give us the call. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, you don’t think to check on the sobriety of school bus operators as a patrol member,” said Hunter.

The man was arrested for impaired driving and police took breath samples at the detachment.

Hunter said the accused is a part-time driver employed by the First Nation’s band office.

He said he didn’t know whether the driver has been suspended as a result of the arrest.

Calls to the band office and the First Nation’s director of education were not immediately returned Wednesday.

The man was released on an appearance notice to attend court in the First Nation at a later date. The charges have not yet been sworn in court, Hunter said, so the accused’s name cannot be released yet.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca