Drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a school bus has cost a Listowel man his job.
Huron County OPP say they received multiple calls Monday afternoon about a school bus driving erratically on Harriston Road, west of Harriston in Howick Township.
“People trailing the school bus saw the driver hitting the shoulder, crossing the centre lane,” Const. Jamie Stanley tells CTV News.
Some of those people tried to pass the bus, but were unable to do so and continued to follow behind, police say.
At the time, the bus was transporting 10 elementary school students.
“Based on the witness information, the driver was certainly putting himself in danger (along with) every other motorist on the road and the students in that bus,” says Stanley.
OPP officers caught up with the bus and stopped it on Clyde Line in Bluevale, near Line 86.
A roadside alcohol test showed the driver to be in the ‘warn range’ just below the legal blood-alcohol limit.
He was driving for Elliott Coach Lines, which has a zero-tolerance policy for any sort of impaired driving.
“As a result of contravening company police, the driver is no longer employed with our company,” company president Angus McKay tells CTV News in an email.
“We are disappointed that this situation has occurred as we take the public trust, and the safety of our passengers, other road users, and our employees very seriously.”
In addition to losing his job, the 50-year-old man was given a three-day license suspension.
Police say they continue to investigate and charges are still possible.
