TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Flagler County School District bus driver has been arrested, accused of driving drunk while dozens of students were on board.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, 60-year-old Mark McNeil is accused of driving the school bus drunk with 40 students from Buddy Taylor Middle School on board.
According to the sheriff’s office, McNeil arrived at work Wednesday afternoon smelling of alcohol.
A co-worker reported it to a supervisor. But by that time, McNeil had already driven off in a bus not assigned to him.
School officials said they tried multiple times to get him to pull over using the bus’s radio, but he ignored it.
Eventually, the sheriff’s office said that school officials caught up to McNeil and managed to get him to stop the bus.
McNeil exited the bus and fell to the ground complaining he couldn’t breathe. Flagler County Fire Rescue responded and transported him to a local hospital.
McNeil was taken to the hospital where deputies say he tried to run away but was quickly arrested. A breathalyzer revealed McNeil had a blood alcohol level of 0.32, four times the legal limit.
When deputies arrived at the hospital McNeil attempted to flee.
“This drunk thought it was okay to endanger 40 children and other drivers by driving a loaded school bus significantly impaired,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Thankfully, no one was hurt as a result of his actions. I commend the employee who reported him to school officials. Anyone whose careless actions endangers lives of children and other drivers deserves to be locked up, which he was.”
Just three days earlier, McNeil was involved in a school bus crash while driving the same afternoon route.
McNeil is charged with DUI, resisting an officer, one count of child neglect and could face up to 39 additional child neglect charges for every student on the bus.
