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DC elementary school bus driver charged with DUI as bus veers into ditch injuring 9 children

Nine out of the 44 children onboard the bus were treated at the scene for non-life threatening injuries by Fairfax County Fire and Rescue team

FAIRFAX, WASHINGTON DC: Troy Reynolds, a school bus driver who hails from Maryland has been taken into custody for reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol. The bus driver caused an accident in which nine children suffered minor injuries. The 48-year-old man was driving back to Murch Elementary School from a field trip to Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia. The bus had 44 children and four adults onboard when he swerved across the road into a ditch, as per a press release from the Fairfax County Police Department.

According to police, the bus after hitting the ditch had struck a rock, which caused the rim to bend and ended up flattening the rear tire. This did not stop Reynolds as he continued to drive only after being urged by adults on the bus to stop the vehicle in a parking lot where another bus from the school was present.

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The rescue operation was carried out by officers from the Sully District Station and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue team at the scene. As per the record, nine children were treated for non-life threatening injuries. The driver had to go through a field sobriety test conducted by the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, which he failed. The test found that Reynolds allegedly has a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .20, more than twice in comparison to the state’s legal limit of .08.

He had been held with no bond on the count of second-degree DWI with a child aged five to 10, commercial DWI with child endangerment, and nine counts of gross, wanton, or reckless care for a child, confirmed authorities. In the investigation, Reynolds’ license was reportedly found to be revoked in Virginia from a prior DWI and suspended in Maryland. Further, it was noticed that the driver had a fraudulent medical card, reported People.

FCPD’s Motor Carrier Safety (MCS) unit also reached immediately to the scene and found discrepancies in both the drivers’ licenses to operate a school bus. In a series of actions, MCS has now documented 18 safety violations on the two buses in total, and the third bus that was called on as a replacement has been taken off the road amid safety violations.

As per the report, Lewis Ferebee, DC Public Schools Chancellor in a statement on Twitter wrote, "We appreciate the support of Fairfax County law enforcement, who welcomed students at a nearby training facility as they awaited transportation back to the school. DCPS takes this incident very seriously, and our teams will do a thorough review of our transportation vendors to ensure that student safety is always prioritized. We are incredibly thankful that no one sustained injuries during this frightening incident."