School bus driver replaced after traffic stop
Nov. 23—A Lebanon Community Schools bus driver's employment ended Monday after police pulled her over Monday morning.
A motorist called 911 after 8 a.m. to report Lebanon's bus No. 12 "swerving all over the three lanes" of Interstate 65 southbound near Whitestown.
A Whitestown police officer pulled the bus over after he observed the bus driver making an unsafe lane change and ignoring a stop sign on Albert S. White Drive, WPD Cpt. John Jurkash said Tuesday.
Bus driver Heather Miller, 44, of Lebanon was courteous and professional but her speech was slurred and she made lethargic movements, Jurkash said.
Miller was the only occupant of the bus at the time, having just dropped off students at the Lebanon Middle and High Schools but had not yet picked up elementary school children on her second route, LCS Spokeswoman Jen Todderud said Tuesday.
Police believed Miller to be intoxicated on something other than alcohol and took her to a hospital for a blood draw to determine if she was under the influence of another substance, Jurkash said. The Indiana State Police laboratory usually returns results from blood tests in about two weeks, he added. Results will be shared with the Boone County Prosecutor's office for consideration of criminal charges.
The school corporation sent another driver to take over her route when the learned Miller had been stopped, Superintendent Jon Milleman said in an email sent to parents.
"The safety of our students remains our top priority," Milleman wrote. "LCSC is cooperating with local authorities, and the driver involved has been removed from duty."
School officials will review traffic safety procedures and district protocols with all bus drivers as a proactive measure, Milleman said.
Todderud did not reveal whether Miller quit or was dismissed, but confirmed her dates of employment as district bus driver were from Aug. 13, 2020 through Monday.
