The bus driver, who police accused of driving 20 children to school in Farmington while she was drunk, was not properly screened by the bus company in accordance with the state law, the Hartford Courant reported Friday.
The Department of Motor Vehicles will cite the M & J School Bus Company because it did not prove that it conducted a yearly screening on Tammy Costello, the paper reported.
Bus companies must screen it’s drivers every year, according to state law.
Thursday, the DMV investigated the D-U-I charge against Costello, and M & J did not provide a record of Costello’s screening, the Courant reported.
Costello was arrested Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence, failure to drive right and 20 counts of risk of injury to a minor in the incident Wednesday. Cotello’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit for a commercial driver, when police arrested her, they said. None of the children on the bus were injured.
M & J officials told the Courant that the DMV does intensive testing before drivers are allowed to transport students. But the background check the DMV does is separate from the screening that bus companies are legally required to do annually. The company also told the paper it does random alcohol and drug testing.
M&J officials said Costello is suspended pending the investigation. She was released on $25,000 non-surety bond.
