A 20-year-old school bus driver was arrested for driving under the influence Wednesday morning after he drove his bus into a ditch with children aboard, the Washington County, Oregon, Sheriff’s Department said.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene at about 8 a.m. On board the bus were 10 Forest Grove School District students between 10- and 16-years-old, an adult bus aide, and the driver, identified as Jonathan Gates.
They charged Gates with DUI-controlled substance and took him to jail. He was issued a citation in lieu of custody and released.
No one was injured in the crash, the sheriff’s office said.
The school district issued a statement that said Gates was placed on administrative leave for the investigation and would undergo a mandatory drug test. They said the children on the bus were students at Forest Grove High School, Neil Armstrong Middle School, and Tom McCall Upper Elementary School, KATU reported.
KGW reporter Mike Bennett said authorities planned to release the onboard camera but were working to redact students’ faces first. He said he’d seen “the video & as bus goes off road you see kids bouncing around. A few end up in the aisle. The driver immediately apologizes and radios back to headquarters.”
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[Featured image: Washington County Sheriff’s Office]
