Drunken While Driving School Bus

(Campbell, New York) According to this story, two local school district bus drivers have been accused of driving while intoxicated within the past year. Both cases involved operating the bus with children on board and one involved an accident which injured 16 students.

Bertha L. Hoffman, 70, of Thurston pleaded guilty to 37 charges, including two felonies, related to a February 14, 2003, accident. She was sentenced to 14 to 18 months of treatment, counseling and monitoring in the Steuben County Drug Court program.

Michele L. Schwartz, 36, arrested last October, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors. This week, she was sentenced to five days in the Stueben County Jail, plus a $1,000 fine, community service, home monitoring, drug treatment, and probation.

This is very disturbing. I fear that these two episodes may be indicative of a much larger problem and not just in New York State, possibly throughout the country. I hope I'm wrong.