D.C. school bus driver charged with DUI after allegedly crashing into a ditch, injuring 9 students

Minyvonne Burke
·2 min read
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A school bus driver in D.C. was charged with driving while intoxicated after police said he crashed into a ditch, injuring nine children returning from a field trip.

Troy Reynolds, 48, was taking students and adults back from Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia, to Murch Elementary School in D.C when he veered off the road, Fairfax County Police in Virginia said in a news release.

The bus — carrying 44 children and four adults — hit a rock, causing the rim to bend and the tire to flatten.

"Reynolds continued driving until the adults on the bus convinced him to follow a second bus, which was also returning to the school from the field trip," police said. "The two buses stopped in a parking lot in."

Police and fire personnel were called to the parking lot and treated nine children for minor injuries, the news release states. Reynolds failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the adult detention center. He was allegedly found to have a blood alcohol content of .20, more than Virginia's legal limit of .08.

DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said they are taking the incident "very seriously" and will do "a thorough review of our transportation vendors to ensure that student safety is always prioritized."

Police said during an investigation they learned that Reynolds' license had been revoked in Virginia from a prior DWI and it was suspended in Maryland. He was also carrying a fake medical card, Fairfax County Police said.

The agency's Motor Carrier Safety also found 18 safety violations between Reynolds and the other bus driver transporting children on the trip.

"MCS determined that none of the bus drivers were properly licensed to operate a school bus," authorities said.

The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to a charge of driving while intoxicated, he faces counts of commercial DWI with child endangerment, as well as gross, wanton, or reckless care for a child.

Reynolds, of Maryland, is being held on no bond. It's not clear if he has obtained an attorney.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com