A Monroe County school bus driver is facing a DUI charge after deputies say his bus was spotted swerving on a county road early Wednesday morning. Authorities identified the driver as 63-year-old James Haggins of Conyers and said no students were on board at the time. According to officials, Haggins denied using drugs or alcohol, refused field sobriety tests at the scene, then later agreed to a blood draw for lab analysis. He remains in custody.
Deputies: Call came in just before 7 a.m.
According to CBS News Atlanta, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office got a call just before 7 a.m. Wednesday about a school bus that was reportedly driving erratically near Shi Road and Maynards Mill Road. A deputy who caught up with the bus said it was drifting out of its lane, which led to a traffic stop and Haggins’s arrest. Jail records list a DUI charge tied to the stop.
Officer observations and testing on scene
WSB-TV reports the deputy who approached the bus noticed signs that Haggins might be impaired. The station says Haggins told the deputy he had not used drugs or alcohol and refused to perform field sobriety tests. He did agree to provide a blood sample, then was taken to the Monroe County Jail while the school district launched its own internal review.
Georgia law carries steep penalties for bus drivers
Under O.C.G.A. §40-6-391.3, a conviction for driving under the influence while operating a school bus can bring one to five years in prison and fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The Georgia Department of Driver Services also outlines separate administrative penalties tied to DUI arrests, including license suspensions and mandatory treatment or education programs, depending on the case and a driver’s prior record.
Similar arrests have rattled parents statewide
Parents around metro Atlanta have been on edge after a string of similar cases. Earlier this year, an off-duty DUI allegation led to a Gwinnett County bus driver’s removal. Last fall, WSB-TV reported a Bartow County substitute driver was arrested after deputies said the driver had an open alcohol container while students were on the bus. Those headlines have pushed districts across the region to take another hard look at how they vet, test and monitor school bus drivers.
What happens next in the Monroe case
Jail records show Haggins is booked on a DUI charge and remained in Monroe County custody as of the latest update, according to CBS News Atlanta. The Monroe County School System says it has opened an internal review, while investigators wait for the results of the blood test and prosecutors decide whether to pursue any additional charges.
