SMITHTOWN, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A Long Island school bus driver was fired after being caught Wednesday afternoon with an open container of alcohol while transporting students, officials said as police investigated.
The driver, who worked for a bus company and was not a district employee, was taking students home from Smithtown High School West when someone spotted the beverage, according to Superintendent Mark Secaur.
The district quickly intervened and bus company staff met the driver at Great Hollow Middle School before dismissal, Secaur said in a message to parents.
“It was confirmed that an alcoholic beverage was on board, and the driver was promptly taken from the bus, and a different driver completed the route,” the superintendent wrote.
No students were injured.
The district notified Suffolk County Police, who are investigating the incident, including a photo said to show the open alcoholic beverage on the bus.
It’s unclear if the driver underwent a breathalyzer test.
No arrests had been made as of Thursday.
In New York State, driving while having an open container of alcohol is illegal.
Secaur told parents that “regardless of the outcome of the investigation [...] the driver will no longer transport any Smithtown student.”
“Our students' safety is of the utmost importance to the Smithtown Central School District, and we will remain steadfast in our efforts to create a safe environment for all our students.”