On Friday March 28, Jeffery Layne, a 53-year-old school bus driver for Rutherford County Schools in Tennessee was arrested for driving under the influence while on the job, according to Newschannel5.com. Layne was suspended indefinitely; he has been a driver since February of last year.
News reports claim that Layne was involved in an accident at approximately 2 p.m. on Friday which occurred near a Chick-fil-A on Old Fort Parkway. Sheriff Robert Arnold of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department revealed that authorities first became aware of the situation after a woman obtained a license plate number and called Murfreesboro police. Layne was allegedly involved in a hit and run accident in his personal vehicle, a GMC Sierra pick-up truck. Layne allegedly struck the woman’s car while in the drive-thru of the Chick-fil-A restaurant. The woman said that before leaving the scene of the accident, Layne told her he was a school bus driver and offered her money, requesting that she meet him outside of the line of traffic on the other side of the building. This is when Layne fled the scene, according to Officer Zachary Ferrell..
After tracking Layne down, officers ordered him to go to the school; a deputy met him there, and noticed an odor of alcohol after he began talking to Layne. Layne was arrested after being asked to perform a series of sobriety tests, which he failed.
Prior to being hired by the school district, Layne passed a background check. He has no prior criminal record with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office according to reports.
DUI charges are serious not only in Tennessee, but across the nation including in Michigan. The situation is particularly serious when an individual who is entrusted to keep children safe while on their way to and from school is accused of driving under the influence. Not only has the defendant in this case likely lost his job, he will no doubt face harsh criminal penalties if found guilty.
In the state of Michigan, criminal penalties for those accused of DUI and who hold a CDL license are serious. Under federal law, it is illegal for commercial drivers to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC of .04% or greater. This is half the legal limit of 0.08% which applies to ordinary drivers. An individual who drives a school bus in Michigan and who is convicted of DUI may face amplified criminal penalties which include fines, license suspension, driver’s license points, potential jail time, and more. Ultimately, a DUI conviction can result in not only harsh penalties, but ruin of your career as well.
If you have been arrested or charged with driving under the influence, take action immediately. A qualified Michigan DUI defense attorney will work vigorously to protect your freedom and minimize the damage.