Students' calls to parents lead to bus driver's DUI arrest
INDIANAPOLIS — Police say Janet Kay Shaw had 21 students on her bus and drugs in her possession when she veered off the road on her way to an Indiana middle school Monday morning.
After taking out utility pole wires and traveling on the edge of the road, the 53-year-old Hamilton Heights (Ind.) School Corp. bus driver regained control of the vehicle and finished picking up students on her route.
Bumped and bruised, the students made it to school, where the veteran bus driver was removed and arrested. Among the charges she faces are 21 felony counts of operating while intoxicated endangering a minor.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office was notified early Monday about a single-vehicle crash on Leonard Road.
Police said the bus was going about 40 mph when it left the road and struck a guide wire to a utility pole, causing a transformer malfunction and a power outage. Police said Shaw did not report the crash to police or school personnel and did not stop at the scene.
Hamilton Heights Schools officials learned of the crash after several students called their parents from the bus, police said. Students onboard were treated by school nurses for headaches, minor aches and pains and other issues. None of the students left school early because of the crash, and no serious injuries were reported. The bus sustained minor damage.
School officials said Shaw, of Arcadia, Ind., was suspended, and her termination will be recommended at the next school board meeting.
“The employee had been a bus driver for (Hamilton Heights School Corp.) since 2001. As with all bus drivers at (Hamilton Heights School Corp.) and at districts across Indiana, she was subject to mandatory random drug testing screenings. She had passed all previous drug screenings,” said a statement from the school corporation. “We are thankful that parents contacted (the district) to let us know of the incident, so that the driver could be removed from the route immediately. As always, the safety and security of our students at Hamilton Heights is our number one priority.”
In addition to her felony charges, Shaw was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of a crash, reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance and operating while intoxicated. Police did not say what controlled substances were involved. Shaw remains in the Hamilton County Jail on a $12,500 bond.