(WHDH) — A school bus driver was arrested for drunken driving after police say she was found slumped over the steering wheel with several students on board.
Mercedes Parada, 29, of Hempstead, New York, was arrested Monday on charges including driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated with children under the age of 15, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Officers responding to a welfare check of a woman who was slumped over the steering of a school bus in the area of South Franklin and Grove streets in Hempstead around 4:50 p.m. observed “multiple clues indicating the presence of alcohol,” police said.
Police added that Parada was taken into custody after it became clear that she was under the influence.
All of the students on the bus were accounted for and safely released to their parents.
An investigation remains ongoing.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)