A North Syracuse Central School District bus driver has been charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol after completing a bus route drunk, says the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.
According to police, Beth Walters, 50, of Kirkville, was fired on March 27 after concerned co-workers suspected she was drunk, notifying district officials of a strong odor of alcohol coming from Walters.
Walters, who had completed her first route by then, was located at the junior high school and was taken to a local medical facility.
A School Resource Officer assigned to the district was notified and a subsequent investigation, including a blood draw analysis, revealed that Walters was impaired by the consumption of alcohol.
Walters was immediately suspended by the district that day and remains suspended while the district conducts an internal investigation.
Walters was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Clay Court on June 28.