Driver charged with DUI after school bus crashes into ditch in Oregon

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Thursday, November 14, 2019
Driver charged with DUI after school bus crashes into ditch
An Oregon school bus driver faces DUI charges after a bus carrying children careened off the side of a road and into a ditch Wednesday.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Oregon -- An Oregon school bus driver faces DUI charges after a bus carrying children careened off the side of a road and into a ditch Wednesday.

In security camera footage taken from the Long View School District bus, screams can be heard coming from some of the 10 students aboard as the vehicle crashed on Southwest Old Highway Road in Washington County.

"I am so sorry," the driver is heard saying.

Police said the 20-year-old driver, Jonathan Gates, appeared to be impaired and arrested him for DUI-controlled substance.

He remains suspended as an investigation continues.

None of the students, ages 10 to 16, were injured. A school aide aboard the bus was also unharmed.

Meanwhile, the school district is coordinating a plan for screening bus drivers.