HARTLAND, Wis. — A 72-year-old bus driver in Hartland was arrested Monday and faces multiple charges, including operating while intoxicated after police said he wouldn’t let kids off the bus and was driving erratically.
He was booked into the Waukesha County Jail and referred to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office on charges of operating while intoxicated (first offense) with a passenger under 16 years old, and second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
Students on the bus recalled the entire situation to TMJ4’s Megan Lee Monday night.
“We were screaming, ‘Stop the bus, stop the bus, stop the bus,’” North Shore Middle School student Jacora Reaves said.
Something didn’t feel right on the bus ride home for 8th graders Reaves and Kerlyn Alvarez.
“I was scared because he didn’t stop at any of the first few stops. And I was scared the other kids weren’t going to get to go home,” Reaves said.
"He was just getting mad over little stuff,” Alvarez added.
Reaves called 9-1-1 when she noticed something was off with the route.
The driver eventually stopped the bus, and parents who arrived to pick up their children confronted him. The entire bus was evacuated, and the driver drove away, according to police.
Watch: Students recall scary bus ride, driver arrested on OWI charge
Hartland police later conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver after further investigation.
“I was worried about everyone. I’m like, where did my brother go? Is this little girl hurt or something? Are all the kids off the bus?” Reaves explained.
Reaves' mom, Jonisha Neita, is proud of how the girls handled the situation.
“They did a good job. Seeing them work together in the way they took care of them babies…I was very happy,” Neita explained.
However, she wishes the school district notified her immediately.
“We should have been notified ASAP. I should have gotten a call from the principal, anybody, school district. Anybody should have called me to let me know what was going on with my kid,” Neita said.
Tina Vogelmann, the superintendent, said she is “disgusted” and “disheartened” about the incident. She said safety is the top priority for her students.
The bus was operated by Dousman Transport Company for the Hartland-Lakeside School District. A spokesperson for the company confirmed they are looking into the incident.
The incident remains under investigation by the Hartland Police Department.
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