Longview school bus driver accused of DUI ordered to counseling, probation

Washington school bus driver faces DUI charge after student dials 911

A school bus driver in Longview, Washington faces charges of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment after a child who had just gotten off the bus called 911, claiming the driver was intoxicated, police said.

LONGVIEW, Wash. -- A former Longview, Washington, school bus driver accused of driving students while intoxicated on Sept. 12 was ordered to complete five years of court-ordered counseling and serve five years of probation.

If Catherine Maccarone violates the terms of the court order, she would be found guilty without a trial under the terms of a deferred prosecution order approved in Cowlitz District Court Wednesday morning.

Longview police arrested Maccarone on suspicion of DUI and two counts of reckless endangerment after a 10-year-old student called 911 to report that the bus driver had run three red traffic lights and smelled of alcohol.

The Longview Daily News reports that Maccarone is prohibited from driving a commercial vehicle, must use an ignition interlock device and must attend a DUI victim impact panel. A person is only allowed one deferred prosecution in a lifetime.

Maccarone, 48, resigned from her job as a bus driver on Sept. 25.