Shocking moment ‘drunk’ school bus driver, 20, careens and bounces down rural Oregon road before crashing into a ditch with ten screaming students on board
- Jonathan C. Gates was driving children aged 10 to 16 in Forest Grove, Oregon
- No one was injured but Gates was arrested on suspicion of DUI
- He has been issued a citation and released from Washington County Jail
A ‘drunk’ school bus driver has been arrested after veering off the side of the road and crashing into a ditch with 10 children on board.
Jonathan C. Gates, 20, was driving in Forest Grove, Oregon, with the pupils, aged 10 to 16, and an adult aid when he crashed yesterday morning.
No one was injured but Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Gates ‘appeared to be impaired’.
The school bus driver veered off the road into a ditch with 10 children and a supervisor on board
When deputies arrived, they found the bus in the ditch and he was arrested for DUI.
Footage shows the bus leaning off the side of the highway during the school run.
In a separate video taken inside the bus, Gates is seen behind the wheel as the bus moves away from the road.
The children are flung around in the back before Gates brings the bus under control.
He then repeatedly says, ‘I’m so sorry’ as he holds his head in his hands.
The bus driver was issued a citation in lieu of custody and released from Washington County Jail.
No one was injured but Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Gates ‘appeared to be impaired’
Footage shows the bus leaning off the side of the highway during the school run yesterday morning
The bus was taking students to Forest Grove High School, Neil Armstrong Middle School and Tom McCall Upper Elementary School.
Gates has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing and will be required to undergo a mandatory drug test, according to the school district.
The driver will now undergo a mandatory drug test and be placed on administrative leave while an investigation is ongoing.
Gates had been driving the route for three days, according to administrators, and there had been no prior complaints.
Gates is behind the wheel as the bus moves away from the road, flinging children and the supervisor around inside the vehicle