People aboard a bus carrying the Duluth Denfeld High School boys’ basketball team could realize something was wrong with their driver last Thursday.
Texts from people in the vehicle sent to 911 said the driver was “acting erratic,” while they were on the way from Duluth to a basketball game in Hibbing, Minn. Witnesses told investigators he drove into a stop sign on the way to the game.
Coaches and eight students – some under 16 years old – were in the vehicle.
After the game, the bus driver allegedly drove down a street in the wrong direction and missed several turns. Coaches from the school team ended up arguing with him about his condition. They eventually convinced him to pull over.
Authorities arrested the driver, identified as 47-year-old Shawn Edward Zelazny of Sturgeon Lake, Minn. The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office said he has been charged with two counts of second-degree driving while impaired and a count of driving a commercial motor vehicle while impaired.
A criminal complaint said Minnesota State Patrol troopers found Zelazny and the bus pulled over off of Highway 53 in Cotton, Minn. Troopers said that Zelazny told them he “probably drank too much” before driving the team to and from a tournament.
His breath allegedly smelled of alcohol, his cheeks and nose were flushed, and he had “abnormal” speech, said WCCO T.V.
When a state trooper arrived and administered a preliminary breath test, it showed that the bus driver’s blood alcohol content was 0.218, over twice the legal limit for driving in Minnesota, according to The Star Tribune.
A blood sample was also taken at a local hospital.
Perviously, Zelazny was convicted of fourth-degree DWI 2013.
He could face up to three years in prison if convicted of the current charges.
As of Tuesday, he was out of jail and awaiting his next court appearance, which WCCO T.V. said has yet to be scheduled. The Star Tribune reported that his bail had been set at $12,000.
Schools throughout the country have been experiencing a bus driver shortage this school year that is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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