Children left screaming in terror as 'drunk' school bus driver jumps three red lights shouting 'I am crazy. I'm totally crazy'
Several Washington state students were seen in shocking footage screaming in terror as their "drunk" bus driver allegedly skipped three red lights. On September 12, a 10-year-old Longview Public Schools student called 911 to report Catherine L. Maccarone, 48, for drunk driving, leading to her subsequent arrest, ABC News reports. The woman is heard in the recently released footage from a camera on the bus saying, "I am crazy. I'm totally crazy."
The children are heard screaming in terror as she hits a pothole on the road just moments later, causing them to bounce off their bus seats. During the 911 call, the 10-year-old boy told dispatchers the driver was "wobbling", before authorities arrested her.
"The bus driver, Catherine, she was drunk because she was like, she passed three red lights," the student told dispatch. The boy added he could tell she was inebriated because she was "wobbling" and "her eyes, you can tell, she was drunk."
The dispatcher then asked the student if he could smell any drink on Maccarone, to which he responded saying, "Her mouth, her breath, sort of smelled of alcohol." Officers with Longview police said they smelled alcohol on the driver before placing her under arrest.
"There were no children on the bus at the time of the arrest, however, Maccarone had recently completed two afternoon bus routes," they added.
That said, up to 90 children may have been on the bus on September 12, according to Rick Parrish, the school district's communications coordinator. During interrogation, Maccarone reportedly told authorities she was taking anxiety and sleep medication as she was upset about her divorce. She was found to have 0.096 percent blood alcohol content during a breathalyzer test, which is more than double the limit for driving a school bus.
Maccarone has since been placed on paid leave. According to the Longview School District, she had been working as a bus driver for the school for around a year. Following the incident, drivers are required to meet with a dispatcher face-to-face before picking up the keys to their respective buses. Maccarone was booked into jail on charges of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment. While she is currently out after posting bond, she is scheduled to appear in court on October 15.