Massachusetts State Police arrest school bus driver for OUI after receiving 911 calls from bystanders

A Massachusetts school bus driver has been arrested after allegedly driving erratically on the highway with a bus full of students.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, yesterday at 5:25 p.m., Troopers Joshua Harvey and Stephen Weddleton, while on patrol out of the State Police-Norwell Barracks, responded to a report of a yellow school bus driving erratically on Route 3 North in Pembroke. The caller, who was one of the passengers on the bus, reported that the bus was swerving in and out of lanes and ran a red light. The Troopers located the bus as it exited the ramp at Exit 27 and pulled it over into a Friendly’s parking lot.

The Troopers asked the driver, 53-year-old Bethann Sweeney, of Hanover, to step off the bus, which she did. The Troopers observed her to be unsteady on her feet and detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from her. Troopers also made observations of her speech and appearance indicative of intoxication.

Information obtained by the Troopers indicated that Sweeney had picked up the 28 passengers, who were aged 14-20, and two adult supervisors, at Plymouth North High School, where they had attended the Hingham United Basketball Special Olympics closing ceremony. The bus was to bring them back to Hingham High School. The adult passengers told Troopers that the bus was swerving across the road and that Sweeney had tried to get onto Route 3 South, which was the wrong direction to return to Hingham High School. When told she was heading in the wrong direction, Sweeney ran a red light and then managed to get onto Route 3 North, again swerving across the road and driving over rumble strips multiple times.

Troopers Harvey and Weddleton asked Sweeney to perform several standardized field sobriety tests. Upon administration of the tests — which included administration of the horizonal gaze nystagmus test, requests to perform a nine-step walk and turn and a one-legged stand, and requests to recite the alphabet, and counting backwards – the Troopers formed the opinion, based on the test results and their prior observations, that SWEENEY was under the influence of alcohol.

After being transported to the barracks, Sweeney refused to take the breathalyzer test, which triggered an automatic license suspension. Based on statements she made, she was transported to South Shore Hospital for an evaluation. A Trooper served the hospital with a preservation notice for results of analysis of the defendant’s blood, which was drawn during routine medical treatment. Following her evaluation Troopers returned her to the Barracks to complete the booking process. During the booking process she stated that her occupation was school bus driver and her employer the Town of Hingham.

During a subsequent inventory of Sweeney’s belongings, a 23.7-ounce Poland Springs water bottle was found. The bottle was half empty and contained a strong odor of alcohol.

Sweeney was charged with Operating under the influence of liquor, Child endangerment while operating under the influence, Negligent operation of a motor vehicle, Reckless endangerment of a child, and Having an open container of alcohol while driving.

A bail commissioner set Sweeney’s bail at $2,540 cash. Sweeney did not post bail and was held overnight. She is being transported to Plymouth District Court this morning for arraignment.