Sheriff: Indiana School Bus Driver Arrested for Driving Drunk with Students Onboard

A former Indiana school bus driver was arrested on Friday, months after allegedly driving her bus while intoxicated with students onboard.

According to the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, 38-year-old Kayla Pier of Michigan City was charged in the incident that happened on September 20, ABC 7 reported on Sunday.

An image shows the suspect in the case:

At the time, the woman worked for the La Porte Community School Corporation as a bus driver. After she transported more than 30 students from La Port Middle School to Riley Elementary School, the students on the bus alerted school officials to her behaviors and mannerisms during the trip.

“Pier was immediately removed from the bus once officials intercepted it. She resigned from the corporation later that day,” according to an WSBT report posted on Saturday.

Pier underwent a toxicology test, and the district’s superintendent contacted local authorities about the issue in late October.

“An arrest warrant for Pier was approved December 19. Pier was taken into custody Friday, the LaPorte County sheriff said. She was later released after posting bond,” the ABC 7 report noted.

The charges against Pier are felonies for Operating While Intoxicated and Neglect of a Dependent.

In a statement, Captain Allen commended the students for speaking up about the situation:

The courageous students aboard the bus who reported the behaviors of the accused are publicly commended. Their attention to detail and prompt actions may have prevented a tragedy from occurring. Thank you to the school corporation administrators for their assistance and cooperation throughout the investigation. Our partnership is committed to student safety, both on and off of every campus.

CBS Chicago shared an aerial map showing the location of the two schools where Pier drove the students, allegedly while drunk:

Similarly, a 44-year-old school bus driver in St. Louis County, Minnesota, faced DWI charges in September for allegedly driving drunk, four times over the legal limit with several children onboard, Fox 9 reported at the time.