A 23-year-old South Carolina woman is facing DUI and child endangerment charges after police say she led them on a chase in a school bus with her own child aboard, then put the boy in front of her as a shield during the arrest. North Charleston officers were tipped off Thursday afternoon about a bus driving erratically, and the pursuit ended in a school parking lot with staff moving out of the way.
The details in this one are tough to process: a bus at roughly 65 mph in a 45 zone, a bottle of prescribed amphetamines within arm’s reach of the driver’s seat, and a child pulled to safety after being used, according to police, as a shield.
For families across the Suncoast, the story raises a fair question. What does the screening process for school bus drivers actually look like in Florida, and how often are drivers checked after they’re hired? We want to hear from you: does the system in place feel strong enough to protect your kids?
