Random alcohol testing pays off: School Bus Driver Arrested
by Natalie Beck
A school bus driver in Salinas, CA failed a random alcohol test given to him on Monday by his employers, the Alisal Union School District. Unfortunately, this was after he had already driven 50 children to school. While it’s great to see schools following Department of Transportation protocol and randomly testing their drivers, it may be a good idea to randomly test before the start of the bus driver’s shift in order to avoid a situation like this (just a thought). Hopefully this individual will no longer be permitted to work as a school bus driver in that district, or ANY school district for that matter, in the future.
By NICK RAHAIM • The Salinas Californian • June 3, 2008
A bus driver for the Alisal Union School District was arrested Monday on suspicion of being drunk while driving 50 children to school, police said.
Frankie Mata, 48, of Salinas, had a blood alcohol level of 0.12 percent when he and other district bus drivers were given a random drug and alcohol test following their morning bus routes, Salinas police said. The blood alcohol limit for drivers in California is 0.08 percent. But the blood alcohol limit for those with a commercial license, including bus drivers, is 0.04 percent.
Salinas police responded to the district about 12:40 p.m. and arrested Mata on suspicion of DUI and 50 counts of child endangerment - one for each child he transported.
Subscribe to our podcast!