School Bus Driver Charged with Child Endangerment and DWI After Student Smelled Alcohol During Ride

A school bus driver in Minnesota is facing child endangerment and DWI charges after a student reported smelling alcohol on the driver during a route.

Local outlets WCCO and FOX 9 report that a school resource officer in Maple Lake, roughly 50 miles from Minneapolis, received a call on Thursday, Nov. 20. A student said they believed the bus driver smelled like alcohol.

Court documents cited by the outlets say the officer alerted school officials and the bus company, M&M Bus Service. The company stopped the bus mid-route and sent a replacement driver to complete the trip.

The bus was carrying multiple students under 16, though the exact number was not specified in the documents.

A Washington County Sheriff’s deputy met the driver, identified as 55-year-old William John Peterson, at the company’s garage. The deputy noted that Peterson allegedly had watery eyes and that they detected what seemed to be alcohol on his breath, according to the reports.

Peterson reportedly told deputies he had taken NyQuil but denied drinking alcohol.

Documents say he “performed poorly” on a field sobriety test, and a preliminary breath test reportedly showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.082. He was arrested and taken to the Washington County jail.

While the standard legal limit for most drivers is 0.08 and the limit for commercial drivers is 0.04, Minnesota law enforces zero tolerance for school bus drivers.

Peterson has been charged with one count of child endangerment and three counts of operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

Following the incident, Maple Lake Public Schools Superintendent Mike Rowe informed families that Peterson was removed from duty.

In his letter, Rowe said the district was alerted to “a serious incident involving a contracted bus driver who is an employee of M&M Bus Service.” He added that once the school learned of alleged impaired behavior, officials acted to ensure students were safe and transported without further risk.

“Law enforcement was contacted, and another driver was sent to take over the route,” Rowe wrote, noting that all students were safe and that a police investigation was underway.