FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A Flagler County Schools bus driver is accused of driving drunk with around 40 middle schoolers on board Wednesday, deputies said.
Mark Michael McNeil, 60, was arrested that same day after a Flagler County school district employee chased him down his route and stopped him before alerting the sheriff’s office.
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Deputies said the Ormond Beach driver had picked up approximately 40 students from the middle school and proceeded with his afternoon route in a bus not assigned to him.
According to a probable cause affidavit, McNeil was observed smelling like alcohol by a Buddy Taylor Middle School employee around 1 p.m. The employee then reported it about an hour later to the director of transportation in the Flagler school district, Dontarrious Rowns.
McNeil ignored multiple attempts by the school transportation’s to contact him via radio as he dropped off students at their stops, the affidavit shows.
According to investigators, McNeil’s boss eventually found him along his route near the intersection of Karas Trail and Karat Path when he “exited the bus and fell to the ground complaining he couldn’t breathe.” Flagler County firefighters responded and took McNeil to a local hospital, where he was met with and arrested by deputies, who detected a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
During his arrest, McNeil can be heard on a deputy’s body camera yelling at deputies.
Upon conducting a breath sample test at the Flagler County jail, investigators determined McNeil had a blood alcohol level of .32 and .31, which is four times the legal limit in Florida.
“This drunk thought it was okay to endanger 40 children and other drivers by driving a loaded school bus significantly impaired,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a release. “Thankfully, no one was hurt as a result of his actions. I commend the employee who reported him to school officials. Anyone whose careless actions endangers lives of children and other drivers deserves to be locked up, which he was.”
McNeil faces at least one charge of child neglect without great bodily harm and a DUI with passengers under 18 charge, but could face additional charges as the investigation continues.
McNeil was booked in Flagler County jail Wednesday before being released on bond the next afternoon.
School leaders confirm Mcneil is now on paid leave while they too investigate.
Parents said they’re in shock to hear about the allegations.
“That’s really sad,” said parent Michelle Patton.
“That’s terrible because we are trusting in them,” said parent Rebecca Ortiz.
“If I have to trust another adult with my kids, they’ve got to be on it,” said parent Anthony Stewart.
The sheriff said McNeil was also in a minor bus crash on Monday. No one was seriously hurt, and he said no drugs were found in his system then.
Sheriff Staly said he wishes the school system would have alerted deputies sooner. “I wish the school district would have called us when this first started instead of trying to track down the bus driver,” said Sheriff Staly. “Tell us the route they’re going and maybe we can find them quicker.”
News 6 has requested McNeil’s personnel file from Flagler county schools. We also asked Flagler County Schools for a response to the sheriff’s comments about calling them sooner, and the school district said they’re conducting its own investigation and won’t comment until it’s complete.
News 6 reached out to McNeil for reaction about his charges and he said he has no comment.