A school bus driver in Miami County, Ohio, is on administrative leave following a “reckless driving” incident Tuesday afternoon, which prompted several 911 calls and an investigation into a possible charge of operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI), reported WHIO TV 7.

According to the article, the Bethel Local Schools bus driver was transporting five students’ home when concerned witnesses observed what they reported as the driver’s erratic behavior.

The situation reportedly began around 4:30 p.m., when local resident Ricki Crist was encountered a Bethel Local Schools bus, which had stopped in the middle of State Route 571 and South Palmer Road, about two and a half miles from the district’s campus. Initially, Crist said she thought the bus was letting students off, but after seeing cars pass the bus without stopping, she became suspicious.

As she followed the bus, Crist said she observed increasingly erratic driving. “She started swerving between lanes,” Crist told local news reporters of the driver. “That’s when I decided to call 911 and report a reckless driver.”

According to the news report, deputies from the Miami County Sheriff’s Office were on their way, but Crist took further action. She followed the bus to a stop sign where the driver paused for nearly five minutes, inching forward slowly. Crist pulled over, ran to the bus, and knocked on the window to ask if the driver was okay.

“She didn’t seem under the influence, but she seemed a little off,” Crist said via the article.

Not long after, the situation escalated. A father, whose child was on the bus, arrived at the scene and reportedly tried to stop the driver. However, the driver allegedly refused to open the bus doors, locking them out as tensions increased. A 911 caller reported a crowd gathering at the intersection and possible road rage, further raising the urgency of the situation.

Witnesses say via the article that the father’s actions helped prevent further escalation.

“I’m just thankful that we were able to get her to stop, and that the police were there in a timely manner,” said Crist. “I don’t know what would have happened.”

According to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, the driver showed signs of impairment, including unsteadiness and constricted pupils. The bus was carrying five students at the time of the incident. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the children were safely transferred to another bus.

According to the news report, Bethel Local Schools Superintendent Michael Nutter sent a message to parents on Wednesday in response to the incident, confirming that the driver had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. “We are deeply sorry for the worry this has caused, the inconvenience, and the late arrival home. The one thing that I am thankful for is that all children were returned home safely,” Nutter wrote.

The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is reportedly continuing its investigation. The driver voluntarily provided a blood sample, and authorities are awaiting the results to determine if charges related to OVI or child endangering will be filed.

Although the driver’s name has not been released, the situation has sparked concerns about student safety, with many parents’ expressing relief that the intervention happened before something more serious occurred. Deputies have emphasized that charges could be forthcoming, depending on the results of the blood test. For now, the investigation remains ongoing.

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Related: Alaska School Bus Driver Arrested for DUI, Firearm Possession

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Citing the frequency of overdose deaths nationwide and in the interest of transportation safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it seeks to add fentanyl and its metabolite norfentanyl to its drug-testing panels for CDL holders.

The proposal issued Sept. 2 seeks to amend certain provisions of 49 CFR Part 40 to “harmonize as appropriate” with the current U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) mandatory guidelines for federal workplace drug testing programs using urine (UrMG) and oral fluid (OFMG) that went into effect July 7, following a final rule published in January. A majority of HHS-certified labs already can test for fentanyl and norfetanyl with “sufficiently sensitive detection limits,’ according to this month’s NPRM.

The NPRM cites HHS findings from the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Forensic Laboratory Information System 2021 report that fentanyl, a schedule II synthetic opioid, was the fourth most frequently identified drug and accounted for 11.61 percent of all drugs reported by forensic laboratories. Norfentanyl is “an important component of identifying fentanyl users when urine is the specimen matrix,” the proposal adds, with fentanyl being detected in oral fluid in pain management patients, overdose cases and cases of driving under the influence of drugs.

The National School Transportation Association said it is reviewing all the provisions of the  NPRM but is likely to support adding fentanyl to the drug testing panel.

If published as a final rule, school districts and school bus companies administering or managing drug tests will need to update their policies.

“If a DOT drug/alcohol policy lists the drugs that are tested for, this will need to be added to the policy,” commented Tonic Lathrop, president of operations for Sinnett Consulting Services in Reno, Nevada. “When I write policy, I only list the main categories and not sub-categories so when substances get added to the testing panel, I don’t have to change all of my clients’ policies.”

This includes updating testing procedures and protocols, if a company or school district adds a biomarker or testing type information into their drug and alcohol policy, she explained.

Additionally, Lathrop said employers would need to provide their employees with notification and education about the changes and ensure employees are aware of the additional substance testing and possible update to the drug and alcohol testing policy.  Updated education material should also include fentanyl with substance awareness.

She also noted a positive test for fentanyl may have a legitimate medical explanation. A medical review officer, or MRO, may verify and report a negative test with safety concerns.

Public comments on Docket DOT-OST-2025-0049 are due by Oct. 17 online, by mail or in person.

Related: Update: Feds Withdraw Oral Fluid Collection for CDL Drug Tests Rule
Related: Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Finds 46K Driver Drug-Related Violations
Related: Marijuana Use Dominates Positive Drug Testing Rates of Commercial Drivers

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News always travels fast, but it is not always accurate, which led to a Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy-Fair ISD) bus driver being incorrectly accused of driving erratically while transporting students via a local news station. The district’s superintendent released a social media statement setting the record straight.

On Monday, KHOU-11 published a news article reporting that the unidentified Cy-Fair ISD bus driver was pulled over by police and administered a field sobriety test after a receiving report from a bystander claiming they “saw the bus driving erratically.”

Cy-Fair Superintendent Doug Killian released a statement Thursday defending the school bus driver and clarifying the events.

“On Monday morning, one of our new drivers hit a curb on a tight turn to avoid a vehicle in the opposite lane,” Killian stated. “A community member reported this to Harris County Precinct 5 Constables. Our team reviewed the video of the route multiple times and can definitively say the driver was not driving erratically, as it was reported.”

Killian confirmed the driver was given a field sobriety test twice by law enforcement, as was shown by KHOU-11, and both tests came back negative. The school bus driver was then taken to a clinic for drug and alcohol testing, per district protocol. Killian confirmed those tests also came back negative.

The school bus driver was reportedly back on route Friday.

In the statement, Killian expressed his disappointment in the “click-bait report” that was released by the news station and said that the district is requesting an on-air retraction and apology to the driver.

“The media story created unnecessary embarrassment for this driver and was released prior to the completion of our full investigation. It painted a negative light on the true professionalism of our CFISD bus drivers and transportation staff,” he said.

He continued that while he does not hold out hope that the retraction and apology will happen, he felt it was his duty as superintendent to publicly release the facts of the incident and that he “cannot in good conscience sit by and watch a staff member be attacked or presented in a poor light when their actions were not poor or negatively impactful to kids.”

He explained that after the school bus driver was pulled over, the students onboard behaved well despite the delay, which he attributed to the “quality of our drivers and the high expectations they set for our riders since the first day of school.”

Killian thanked the driver involved for their service and said he encourages the media to report on positive news stories throughout the school year.

On social media, Kilian’s statement was commended by the community for defending the reputation of the driver. One Facebook commenter noted that following the release of the story, “There were so many hurtful and ugly negative comments,” illustrating how a story shared on social media can quickly garner a strong public reaction, even if the facts have not been verified yet.

“This was truly a fantastic example of leadership, accountability, and standing and speaking directly to the people and FOR the people you serve,” said another Facebook comment.

Meanwhile, KHOU published an updated article Thursday noting Killian’s response and the school bus driver passing all drug and alcohol tests, adding, “That criticism came despite the fact that we reached out to Cy-Fair ISD multiple times throughout the day ahead of our story Tuesday night and shared the district’s statement that noted the driver passed two field sobriety tests and an alcohol test, but had been placed on paid leave pending drug test results.”

The news station also reported it asked Cy-Fair for access to the video exonerating the school bus driver, but the request was denied.

Related: NTSB’s Alcohol Impairment Detection Recommendation More Nuanced for School Bus Drivers
Related: Update: Feds Withdraw Oral Fluid Collection for CDL Drug Tests Rule
Related: FMCSA Resources for Implementing Upcoming Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

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