Portage school bus driver accused of drunken driving
By Carole Carlson ccarlson@post-trib.com February 3, 2012 12:56PM
Kolleen M. Lampa
Updated: March 5, 2012 8:05AM
PORTAGE — Police say a Portage Township Schools bus driver was drunk Thursday when she drove 44 elementary children on a field trip from Myers Elementary to Portage High School.
Kolleen M. Lampa, 44, of Portage, is facing felony charges of drunken driving while operating a vehicle with children in it and neglect of a dependent for driving drunk with children on her bus, said Portage Sgt. Keith Hughes. She is also facing lesser charges related to drunken driving.
Superintendent Michael Berta suspended Lampa and said he’ll recommend to the School Board that she be fired. “We have zero tolerance on any alcohol use, particularly someone who’s operating a vehicle.”
The incident unfolded Thursday morning when police were called to the Portage Township School transportation building at 3286 Airport Road at 11:14 a.m. Transportation Director David Harman told police he believed Lampa, who was seated in his office, had been driving her bus while intoxicated.
Police said Lampa had a verbal disturbance with another bus driver when she arrived at the high school with the children at 9:18 a.m. Police said Lampa appeared upset over a parking issue and the other bus driver became concerned she was intoxicated due to a strong odor of alcohol on Lampa’s breath.
The other driver described Lampa’s behavior as erratic stating, “She kinda had a meltdown.” After the confrontation, Lampa attempted to reboard the bus, but the other driver stopped her from doing so and contacted Harman.
Harman also smelled the alcohol odor on Lampa’s breath, but she told him she hadn’t consumed alcohol. She later said she drank a glass of wine with dinner.
Harman said he followed school district policy and took Lampa to the St. Mary’s Occupational Health test site at 3170 Willowcreek Road for chemical tests for intoxication. She provided two samples — the first one at 10:30 a.m. showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.139 percent. The second sample at 10:54 a.m. was 0.129 percent.
Lampa, who’s worked as a Portage bus driver for five years, was taken to the Portage Police Department where she had trouble with field sobriety tests. A blood-alcohol test taken by police at 12:09 p.m. showed her level at 0.09 percent. She was arrested and taken to the Porter County Jail.
Lampa bonded out of jail Thursday, Hughes said. Two fifth-grade teachers on the bus told police neither was close enough to Lampa to detect alcohol on her breath.
Reach reporter Carole Carlson at 648-3154.
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