PITTSBURGH — A school van driver is facing charges after police say he crashed into another vehicle while driving under the influence, all while students were on board.
Pittsburgh Police said they went to the north side of the 16th Street Bridge Friday afternoon after receiving reports of a van being involved in a crash with another vehicle. They said the van fled the scene.
The van contained the man driving it and six passengers, all around 10 years old, according to police.
The students began contacting their parents, who police said quickly called 911 and began tracking their children’s phones.
Officers caught up to the van at 4:15 p.m. in Mt. Oliver at the intersection of Becks Run Road and Wagner Street.
The students were reunited with their families.
A criminal complaint said the driver was Jeffery Irwin, 66.
He was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital after emergency crews found significantly low oxygen levels in his blood. Officers said he admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel.
The students in the van were from Baldwin-Whitehall School District.
Baldwin-Whitehall School District gave the following statement:
“The Baldwin-Whitehall School District is currently actively investigating the details of an incident involving a school van operated by First Student, an external bus company contracted to transport students within our communities who attend alternate schools in the region.
“We are grateful beyond measure that there were no reported injuries and that each one of the six students on board has been safely released to their families.
“The driver is not an employee of Baldwin-Whitehall School District.
“This matter is currently in the hands of the City of Pittsburgh Police Department, and it is our understanding that the driver is in custody.
“The safety and well-being of every student is our highest priority without exception, and our Transportation Department will be working directly with affected families to ensure alternative transportation solutions will be in place for Monday and will continue to carefully evaluate the situation and the outcomes of the police investigation.”
“How does someone...how do they even get away with that? That isn’t something that just happened,’ said Michael Olah, of Baldwin.
According to the criminal complaint, a witness told 9-1-1 Irwin was “unresponsive”, but “...woke up and the vehicle took off across the 16th St Bridge.”
Parents of the kids called police, saying, “The bus nearly flipped while on the bridge, the driver was refusing to pull over, and children were all crying.”
Olah said, “I would’ve come to wherever that bus was out, and I probably wouldn’t be speaking to you. I’d probably be in jail cause that’s a shame.”
According to the complaint, one student was later diagnosed with a concussion and police found Irwin to have a prior DUI from 2001.
Channel 11 reached out to Irwin’s employer, First Student, at their Pittsburgh office and has not heard back.
“He didn’t just decide to get drunk one day. That’s something that’s been going on and it’s a shame that they don’t have a better screening process for this,” said Olah.
Irwin also failed to show up that morning for bus pickup. He is being accused of driving under the influence, endangering children, and reckless driving.
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