On Monday, May 11, a school bus driver was driving drunk.
According to state police, 56 year old Mary Coletti, who was driving for the Lakeland School District, was taking 35 high school students to Walter Panas High School at around 7 a.m. She then sideswiped a telephone pole and a subsequent breathalyzer test showed that she had a 0.13% blood alcohol content which is 0.05 percentage points higher than the legal threshold for drunken driving.
A few of the students suffered minor injuries but no one was seriously hurt.
Coletti’s bus driver’s license was revoked and there was a new bus driver driving the students in the afternoon.
The school district said that they place the very highest priority on the safety and security of the students and said they would also be conducting their own investigation. They confirmed that they have rigorous safety programs for their drivers as well as regular drug and alcohol testing.
Coletti, of Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., now faces felony driving while intoxicated charges under Leandra’s Law, which is a 2009 New York state law that penalizes those who drive drunk with children on board.
The White Plains accident attorneys of Denlea & Carton LLP. help victims of catastrophic injuries recover maximum compensation so that they can return to the highest quality of life possible. Please call us right away at (914) 331-0100 or contact us online today.