Cops thought medical issue caused WV bus crash with 28 kids. Now driver is charged
After a monthslong investigation, a West Virginia school bus driver faces 51 charges for a wreck that sent nine students and herself to the hospital, prosecutors said.
Amy Allen of Red House is charged with 28 counts of child neglect, 22 counts of driving under the influence causing bodily injury and one count of driving under the influence with an emancipated minor, the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office said in a Nov. 14 news release shared with McClatchy News.
Officers responded to the wreck at 7:30 a.m. April 10 where they found the bus crashed into a tree, WOWK reported.
According to authorities, nine students were taken to a hospital due to injuries from the wreck, and 28 students were on board at the time, WCHS reported.
“Putnam County Schools extends our sincere thoughts and prayers to our PCS bus operator and all students involved,” the school district told WSAZ in an April statement.
Investigators originally believed Allen had a medical emergency that led to the crash, WCHS reported. However, it was later discovered that Allen had been under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the crash, according to a Nov. 14 Putnam County Schools statement shared with McClatchy News.
“Any positive drug test results of an employee are wholly unacceptable,” the district said in the statement. “Although personnel laws limit our ability to disclose specific information, families can trust that the school system took swift and appropriate personnel action at that time.”
Putnam County Schools said the bus driver was placed on unpaid leave at the time and later had her contract terminated at a meeting in May.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office told McClatchy News more information will become available once the indictment is served.
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 12:15 PM.
