Sussex County school bus driver found guilty of driving drunk with students aboard

A Sussex County bus driver was convicted this week of more than two dozen counts of child endangerment for operating a bus with students aboard while drunk last year, the prosecutor's office stated.

A jury found Colleen Eutermarks, 51, of Wantage, guilty of 27 counts — one for each student she transported while intoxicated —following a two-week trial that ended Thursday, acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said. Each count is a second-degree offense punishable by five to 10 years in prison.

Eutermarks was arrested on Jan. 28, 2022, after state police observed her driving a school bus erratically on Route 565 in Frankford, according to the prosecutor's office. Her blood alcohol concentration was 0.34, more than eight times the legal limit of 0.04 for a driver operating a commercial vehicle.

An investigation determined Eutermarks picked up 27 students from Wallkill Valley Regional High School and Franklin Elementary School while she was intoxicated. Police also discovered a partially consumed bottle of vodka in her purse, which was among the evidence presented during the trial.

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"There is no excuse for the reckless behavior Ms. Eutermarks displayed," Taggart said in a statement following the verdict. "The Sussex County jury clearly held Ms. Eutermarks accountable for her terrible decision making that day."

Eutermarks' sentencing is scheduled for January. Judge Michael Gaus remanded her to the Morris County Correctional Facility until then due to the severity of the convictions.

The case was prosecuted by Sussex County Assistant Prosecutor Sahil Kabse, while Eutermarks was represented by defense attorney George Daggett.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wantage NJ school bus driver found guilty of driving drunk