‘Drowsy’ school bus driver found with 17 pill bottles charged with DUI, SC cops say
A South Carolina bus driver is accused of driving under the influence with 51 passengers, including students, according to authorities.
Janice Nickerson Waldorf, 62, was arrested Sept. 25 on one count of child endangerment and one count of driving under the influence, according to a report from the South Carolina State Transport Police shared by WRDW.
McClatchy News was unable to locate attorney information for Waldorf.
After receiving reports of a “possible impaired driver,” authorities located the bus on Interstate 20, according to the report.
When asked if she knew why she was pulled over, Waldorf replied, “they said I was swerving,” before stating “I’m telling you I’m tired, I know I was hitting the rumble things,” according to authorities.
Waldorf told officers she did not fall asleep but “felt drowsy” and would pinch herself to stay alert and keep going, the report said.
Waldorf told police she was “in a lot of pain” from “trigger finger and carpal tunnel,” but stated she did not take any medications daily and had no other medical issues, according to the report.
Though she blew a .00% on a breath test, Waldorf showed other signs of impairment such as poor balance and swaying during a series of field sobriety tests, the report states.
She was taken to a local hospital for a urine exam, which showed she had a central nervous system depressant in her system and “was unable to operate a motor vehicle safely,” authorities said.
Authorities found 17 bottles of prescription medications — six of which were outdated and 11 that were current— in her possession, according to the report.
Waldorf was employed as a bus driver with the Edgefield County School District since July 2023, school officials told WJBF in a statement.
She was placed on “administrative leave until the completion of our investigation,” officials told the outlet.
