Police: Drunk Bus Driver Crashes With 35 Kids on Board

A Hudson Valley woman is facing felony DWI charges after smacking a schoolbus into a telephone pole with 35 students on board.

The Journal News is reporting that Mary Coletti was transporting the high school students on Monday morning at around 7 a.m. when she sideswiped a telephone pole on Red Mill Road in the Lakeland School District. Upon further investigation, police say Coletti's blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent, which is 0.06 above the legal limit.

Coletti was transporting students to Walter Panas High School. The article did not mention if there were any injuries.

Coletti's bus driver's license has been taken away and she now faces felony driving while intoxicated charges. Because she had children on board her bus she is also facing charges under Leandra's Law, which brings stiffer penalties for drunk driving with children in a vehicle. She was arraigned in town court and sent to Westchester County Jail and given a bail of $1,000. Coletti is scheduled to return to court on May 18.