PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania Senate has passed a bill that would create stricter penalties for anyone who drives a school bus under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“In my district, 54 school children were transported by a school bus driver who, according to the criminal investigation, tested positive for marijuana and had a blood alcohol content of 0.331,” said Montgomery County Republican Sen. Tracey Pennycuick.
That bus driver, 47-year-old Kelly Weber, was charged with DUI along with 54 felony counts of endangering the welfare of children, one for each Boyertown Elementary School student who was on her bus on the afternoon of Feb. 6.
Police pulled Weber over after receiving a call that the bus had almost hit parked cars and a telephone pole.
Charging documents showed that children were texting their parents, saying their bus driver was closing her eyes, driving very slowly or erratically. Video showed that Weber crossed the double yellow line multiple times.
“Parents put their children on those buses with a basic and reasonable expectation that the person behind the wheel is fully capable of safely transporting them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case,” Pennycuick said.
The legal BAC limit for a bus driver in Pennsylvania is .02.
Pennycuick’s bill passed the Senate 45-5 and heads to the Pennsylvania House.
