Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol is always risky. But it’s even worse when the vehicle in question is a bus full of kids. In a case that was recently adjudicated in Bozeman, a judge found two bus drivers guilty. They were driving children from Sakajawea Middle School to Yellowstone National Park.
Apparently, the pair had been drinking heavily the night before the trip. One defendant, Jack Parrent, had a blood alcohol level of 0.12, plenty for a DUI. The other driver, Kevin Stark, also from Bozeman, had only 0.032. However, for commercial vehicles, operating with a detectable amount of alcohol, even if under the normal limit, is still an offense.
Stark pleaded guilty and Parrent was found guilty by the judge.
The arrests happened at Yellowstone, where park rangers are empowered to stop and check for drunk driving – just as other police officers can.
The real concern here is the kids. While tragedy may have been averted by park officers this time, one wonders how common it is for operators to get behind the wheel with alcohol still onboard. Drinking heavily the night before will do it, especially if the partying last late into the night and a lot of alcohol is consumed.
One remedy would be the kind of lock-outs found on cars where drivers have to “blow clean” to get the vehicle to start. After all, bus drivers may not be aware that they are still under the effects of last night’s binge. When children are being transported, would it be too much to ask for complete sobriety and have it verified? There was no information that the two men were alcoholics or habitual drinkers. It could be they simply over did it and had to go to work the next day. But with a bus full of kids, that’s just not good enough.
Thanks go out to the park rangers who did an admirable job.
