FARGO, N.D. — A Fargo Public Schools bus driver is charged with DWI afte reports he was driving recklessly with students aboard Monday afternoon.
Police say 71-year-old Bruce Arnold Tweed failed field sobriety tests, then submitted to a breath test that reflected a blood alcohol content (BAC_ of .12, over North Dakota's legal limit.
Officers located Tweed's bus at Shanley High School after 911 callers told dispatchers he was swerving all over the road with children running up and down the aisle. While talking to Tweed an officer recognized signs of alcohol impairment. At that point Fargo Police notified JPII Catholic Schools, whose students were aboard the bus at the time of the incident. Middle school and elementary students scheduled to be picked up by Tweed were told to contact their parents and arrange alternate transportation.
No students were injured while on Tweed's bus.
The President of St. John Paul II Catholic Schools sent a letter home with students detailing the incident.
Dear St. John Paul II Catholic Schools Parents:
Even if you are not a user of our school transportation, I want to inform you about an event yesterday afternoon with the Valley Bus Shuttle, one of the three bus shuttle routes between our schools. For that route, we contract with Valley Bus. Valley Bus provides that bus and that driver.
A motorist had called the police with a report of a bus being driven erratically. Police followed the bus, which was on the route from Trinity School after the school day, into our parking lot at Shanley-Sullivan campus.
Police then investigated and arrested the Valley Bus driver for DUI.
We are grateful that the children arrived here safely, that the citizen notified the authorities, and that law enforcement personnel did their work for public safety.
After the event, we emailed all parents who use our transportation system to let them know that the driver was unable to continue the route and that Valley Bus assured us that the shuttle bus would continue on Tuesday with a different driver.
I want to assure you that we will be working closely with Valley Bus to ensure the continued safety of our children.
Sincerely,
Mike Hagstrom
President, St. John Paul II Catholic Schools
