Calcasieu Parish Bus Driver Pulled Over Drunk, Found to be 2.5 Times Over Limit After Dropping off Students
A 26-year-old Sulphur man is in deep trouble after state troopers pulled him over, found him to be drunk and in possession of stolen liquor -- all AFTER he had delivered his students for the morning.
Matthew Oliver Richard was pulled over in his bus on La. 27 about six miles south of DeQuincy, according to a press release. The bus was "observed weaving and operating left of the highway centerline."
Richard was arrested and submitted to a Breathalyzer, into which he blew a .211 -- 2.5 times over the legal limit in Louisiana.
While there were no children on the bus at the time of the stop, troopers stated that just a short time earlier he had 49 children under the age of 12 on board his bus. No injuries were reported, and all children were delivered to area schools.
Further investigation revealed that an open bottle of alcohol found in Richard’s possession was stolen from an area supermarket earlier in the day. Richard was charged with DWI with child endangerment, speeding 75 in a 55 mile per hour zone, improper lane usage, possession of an open alcoholic container in a motor vehicle, and theft under $500. Richard was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center.
--Troop D Press Release
It's important to remember that if you see similar suspicious activity, you can always call *LSP (*577) on your mobile phone to report impaired drivers.