School bus driver found guilty of 27 counts of child endangerment for operating a school bus while intoxicated in Sussex County
NEWTON, NJ (Sussex County) – Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart Friday announced various convictions of Colleen M. Eutermarks for operating a school bus with numerous students onboard while under the influence of alcohol.
On Jan. 28, 2022, Eutermarks was observed operating a full-sized yellow school bus erratically on County Road 565 in Frankford Township and was eventually stopped by the New Jersey State Police, Taggart said.
Upon contact with Eutermarks, troopers determined that she displayed various signs of impairment. It was determined that she was under the influence of alcohol and was subsequently arrested, Taggart said.
At the barracks, she provided a breath sample indicating that her blood alcohol content (“BAC”) was .34, which was over 8 times the legal limit of .04 BAC as permitted for a person to operate a commercial vehicle such as a bus, Taggart said.
Upon further investigation by the New Jersey State Police, it was determined that Eutermarks had picked up students from both Wallkill Regional High School and Franklin Elementary School while operating the bus intoxicated. It was determined she had transported a total of 27 students on the date in question while intoxicated, Taggart said.
Eutermarks was charged and convicted of 27 separate counts of second-degree child endangerment for each student that she transported while intoxicated. Each count carries the possibility of five to ten years in state prison, Taggart said.
“There is no excuse for the reckless behavior Ms. Eutermarks displayed on January 28, 2022 which put 27 innocent students directly in harm’s way. The Sussex County Jury clearly held Ms. Eutermarks accountable for her terrible decision making that day,” Taggart said.
The trial in this matter lasted approximately 2 weeks. The State called all of the troopers who had investigated the incident to the stand. The jury was also able to view various evidence in this case which included the Body Worn Camera videos as well as the partially consumed bottle of vodka that was recovered from Eutermark’s purse, Taggart said.
“I would like to thank the New Jersey State Police for their diligence in this matter which help bring about this just result” Taggart said.
