School bus driver charged with DWI, child abuse from Lincoln County incident: NCSHP
LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Catawba County school bus driver has been charged with DWI and child abuse among other charges in connection to an incident that occurred this week in Lincoln County, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
Troopers said they received a careless and reckless driving complaint involving the school bus driver around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, on Catawba Burris Road in Denver.
Highway Patrol arrested Nelson Gonzalez, 54, of Sherrills Ford at the scene. He was charged with driving while impaired, commercial vehicle driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, and misdemeanor child abuse.
Gonzalez had a blood alcohol content of 0.23 at the time of his arrest, troopers said. North Carolina law states it is illegal to operate a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.
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School bus driver charged with DWI, child abuse from Lincoln County incident: NCSHP
Troopers said the school bus was being operated from Sherrills Ford Elementary in Catawba County. Students were initially on the school bus with the driver, but none were in the vehicle at the time of the arrest, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and Highway Patrol confirmed.
Gonzalez was given a $2,000 secured bond.
Statement from Catawba County Schools sent to Queen City News:
“Catawba County Schools, in cooperation with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, is issuing this statement to the news media regarding an incident involving a school bus driver assigned to Bus 411 for the Wednesday afternoon, December 6th, route of Sherrills Ford Elementary School.
We can confirm that the bus driver was arrested and charged with driving while impaired. It is
important to note that no children were on board at the time of the arrest, as all students had
been safely delivered to their homes. Sheriff’s investigators are working to gather facts and
evidence at this time. Multiple charges of child abuse are pending.
The driver, Nelson Gonzalez, was employed by the district on November 13, 2023, as a 10-month
custodian and bus driver for Sherrills Ford Elementary School.
In response to this incident, our district has suspended the driver without pay, pending the
completion of the investigation. The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority,
and we have zero tolerance for any conduct that compromises their safety.
We understand the concern and distress this news may cause among parents, students, and the
wider community. We assure you that we are taking every possible step to maintain a secure
environment for our students.”
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