KSP: Bus driver arrested for DUI; charges could be dropped

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - A bus driver was arrested by state police over the weekend and charged with driving under the influence while transporting 41 high school students, but Miller Transportation, the company she was driving for at the time, believes the charges may be dropped.

Kentucky State Troopers arrested Holly Brown, 46, on Sunday on the Blue Grass Parkway between Lawrenceburg and Bardstown. They say an Anderson County sheriff's deputy saw her in a bus. The bus was supposed to be transporting 41 students and several chaperones back to Elliott County from a trip to Louisiana. He did not explicitly see her driving the bus, according to the release.

An off-duty sheriff's deputy made the call, suspecting she was impaired and Kentucky State Police arrested Brown at an EZ Stop store.

A spokesman for Jefferson County Public Schools confirmed Monday that Brown has been employed as a bus driver for the school system since 1995. She was driving a bus for Miller Transportation when she was arrested.

"We are aware of the situation and once the employee returns to work we will handle the matter in accordance with JCPS policies and procedures," said Ben Jackey, the district spokesman.

Brown did not report for work Monday morning, Jackey said.

Brown faces several charges, including: operating a motor vehicle under the influence, prescription of controlled substance not in proper container and wanton endangerment. After her arrest, Miller Transportation sent in a replacement driver.

Here according to a statement from Miller Transportation, Brown's condition may have been entirely due to a medical issue. The company issued the following statement Monday afternoon:

Miller Transportation takes the safety of our passengers very seriously. It is our company's highest priority. As has been reported, Sunday, November 23rd, a driver with our company was stopped on the Blue Grass Parkway near Willisburg, Kentucky. Law enforcement officials are charging her with DUI, Wanton Endangerment and not having a prescription in the original labeled bottle.
Since the arrest, Miller Transportation has been in regular contact with law enforcement officials and the Elliott County School District and Elliott County High School. We discussed with school officials what took place, as well as reassuring them the passengers would get home safely, as they did Sunday night.
Based on our internal investigation, Miller Transportation believes the driver's condition Sunday was the result of a personal medical issue which did not involve alcohol or any illegal controlled substance. We also believe there is the possibility the charges may be dropped or lessened once the driver's lab results are finalized in five-to-six weeks.
Miller Transportation does have in place a federally mandated program to conduct random, routine drug and alcohol testing for all our drivers. We continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement as they investigate the circumstances of this case.
Our company apologized to the Elliott County School District and those passengers whose trip was disrupted. Miller Transportation took immediate steps Sunday to send our Director of Safety to the location where the motorcoach was stopped. He immediately completed the trip getting the teachers, parents and students home in a timely fashion.