Catherine Macaroni, the school bus driver for this group of children in Longview, Washington, began to look down on her husband, calling him a “gun son”, as she sat on an empty bus and getting ready to pick up the kids.
Her monologue continued after they arrived, much to the confusion of all the children on the crowded bus, who began to panic when she savagely shouted, “I’m crazy. I’m totally crazy. Because I love life !”
The reckless driver first drove secondary school students before primary school children boarded the bus. Eventually, a 10-year-old fifth grader called the driver at 911 after getting off the bus, telling the operator, “The bus driver, Catherine, was drunk because she ran through three red lights… .it smells like alcohol.” Responding officers reported that the driver gave off a “clear” smell of liquor.
Officials also said Maccarone’s blood alcohol level was 0.09, more than double the legal limit for those who drive buses.
The driver added during her arrest and placement in Cowlitz County Jail that she was taking anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills to help her manage the process of obtaining KGW divorce reports. She pleaded not guilty to the charges of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment. She also resigned from her post on September 26, two weeks after the feared crackdown.
After the incident, Dr Dan Zorn, principal of Longview Public Schools, told KGW it was an isolated case.
But he added that it shouldn’t have happened all of a sudden and that his department “is doing everything in its power to ensure that it doesn’t happen again”. Some of the changes included more face-to-face interactions between drivers and others before hitting the road.
