Update: Student describes dangerous bus ride leading to driver’s DUI arrest
A school bus driver in the community of Diablo Grande was arrested Monday after a child on the bus called 911 to report she was speeding, swerving and had taken the wrong route.
California Highway Patrol officers caught up with the bus and arrested the driver, 55-year-old Karolyn Denise Ray of Patterson, on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and child endangerment, said CHP officer Thomas Olsen.
He declined to say Wednesday the type of controlled substance Ray is suspected of using.
The boy who called 911, 10-year-old Troy Luna, recounted the dangerous bus ride on Wednesday.
“We got on the bus and (there was) a smoky and like a harsh smell,” Troy said.
He said she got off route, taking the highway instead of Oak Flat Road, and began speeding and swerving.
“Some kid screamed ‘Stop going so fast, please’ so she slammed on the brakes and the kid slammed forward, ” Troy said.
Luna said kids were crying and panicking when he called 911.
The children on the bus ranged in grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade. Olsen said 40 to 50 students take that bus.
Randy Fillpot, superintendent of the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District, said he is proud of Troy.
“I think he is to be commended,” Fillpot said. “I congratulated him yesterday morning at school; he absolutely did the right thing. When you suspect the safety of your peers is in jeopardy you do the right thing and in that case it was call 911.”
Ray works for First Student, a private company that contracts with the school district, but Fillpot said she wasn’t the normal driver on that route. He said she was a substitute who usually works in a different district.
A woman who answered a phone number associated with Ray on Wednesday said “no comment” before hanging up.
Fillpot said parents were notified of the incident and told they could pick up their children. A First Student supervisor also responded to the scene and finished the route for the remaining students.
Fillpot said he told First Student representatives “I was disappointed and we are re-evaluating our relationship with them.”
A statement issued by First Student says, “Certainly, we understand and appreciate the concern this has caused. We, too, take this incident very seriously. First Student is partnering with local authorities for their investigation of the matter; we also are conducting our own internal review. Consistent with our standard process, the driver was immediately removed from service pending the outcome of the investigation. Given that this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 11:51 AM.
