School Bus Driver Arrested for DUI Crash – Miami DUI Lawyer
It’s a nightmare scenario for most parents: their children board a bus to go to school and the bus is involved in an accident. The only thing that could make this nightmare worse is finding out that the bus driver – the individual who parents had entrusted to safely transport their children to school – was driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. For parents in Pinellas County, Florida, this nightmare became a reality.
Dorothy Lynn Burse, the driver of the school bus, was driving west on the inside lane of 54th Avenue North at about 3 pm on January 3, 2017. As she approached a red light at 66th Street North, she stopped the bus and it was hit from behind by a driver in a Nissan.
The driver of the Nissan fled the scene, and the search for the driver is still underway. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, which was a sigh of relief for all parents of those children on board the bus. However, what made this horrific incident even more horrifying for parents is what they later found out: the driver of the bus was charged with a DUI by state troopers. According to reports, Burse was under the influence of a controlled substance while she was operating the bus and is not only facing DUI charges, but child neglect charges as well. Burse is scheduled to appear in court and has a bond that was set at $20,500, as per her jail records.
According to a top Miami DUI lawyer, the charges that Burse is facing are severe. In the state of Florida, a first offense DUI charge is punishable with a jail sentence of up to 180 days, probation for up to 1 year, a fine of $250 to $500, a suspended license for a period of up to 1 year, mandatory attendance and completion of a DUI school and 50 hours of community service. For a second and third offense, DUI lawyers in Miami note that the penalties swiftly increase, including mandatory jail time under certain circumstances.
We handle a variety of criminal law cases, so call us now if you have any questions, (305) 615-1285.
View more contact information here: Miami DUI Lawyer.