A school-bus driver was arrested and charged with impaired driving while on his first day on the job, and with high school students on board, Monday morning in Barrie.
On Feb. 3, Barrie police says it received information from another police service about a suspected impaired bus driver headed toward St. Joseph's Catholic High School on Cundles Road East with two students on board, according to police.
The driver, a 48-year-old man from Oro-Medonte, was located by police and arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired (blood-alcohol concentration over 80 mg).
No injuries were reported by police.
The driver has since been released from custody. The man will be in a Barrie court on Feb. 19.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
The Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium, the operator of the school buses, says it “quickly responded" to the situation.
"The bus was safely pulled over and the police were contacted,” the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board said in a statement sent home to parents today.
The two students were transferred to another bus for the remainder of their trip to school, Pauline Stevenson, the communications manager with the board, told Village Media.
“The safety of our students is our top priority. This situation is very serious and swift action has been taken to address the situation,” parents were told.
According to Catholic board, the school vehicle operator has confirmed that this was the first day this driver drove a route for St. Joseph's and he will no longer be driving a school vehicle.
