Former NJ School Bus Driver Sentenced to 14 Years for Drunk Driving with Students
New Jersey — A former school bus driver, Colleen Eutermarks, 52, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for driving under the influence with a bus full of students, showing a blood-alcohol level eight times the legal limit.
The incident occurred when state police noticed the bus being driven erratically. Eutermarks, who was transporting students from Wallkill Valley Regional High School and Franklyn Elementary School, was found with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.34 during a breathalyzer test, significantly exceeding the state limit of 0.04 for bus and commercial vehicle drivers.
During her arrest on January 28, 2022, police discovered a half-filled bottle of vodka in her purse. After a two-week trial in October, she was convicted on 27 counts of child endangerment. The sentence was delivered on Tuesday, with Sussex County’s acting Prosecutor Carolyn Murray stating that it underscores the severe criminal consequences of operating a school bus while intoxicated.