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Bus driver was drunk when he got stuck in mud with 38 students, IN cops say

A bus driver is accused of being drunk while taking students and teachers of an Indiana school to a field trip, deputies said.
A bus driver is accused of being drunk while taking students and teachers of an Indiana school to a field trip, deputies said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A busload of students and teachers were traveling to a field trip when the bus got stuck in the mud, Indiana deputies said.

While no one was injured, the 55-year-old bus driver was taken to the hospital for a drug and alcohol screening, according to the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials reported the driver had a 0.221 blood alcohol content.

The bus driver, identified as Steven Truelove, was taking 38 students and four adults of Washington Catholic Schools to a field trip the morning of May 5 when it got stuck in the median of a highway, deputies said.

The Diocese of Evansville, who deputies said owns the bus, said in a statement that it is “thankful no one was injured during a transportation incident that occurred on the morning of May 5.”

“The safety of students and staff is of utmost importance, and we’re grateful everyone returned to school safely. We express our gratitude to the local safety personnel who quickly responded and swiftly controlled the situation.”

Truelove was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, endangering a person. He’s being held in jail without bond.

Washington is a 115-mile drive southwest from Indianapolis.

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This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Bus driver was drunk when he got stuck in mud with 38 students, IN cops say."

Kate Linderman
mcclatchy-newsroom
Kate Linderman covers national news for McClatchy’s real-time team. She reports on politics and crime and courts news in the Midwest. Kate is a 2023 graduate of DePaul University and is based in Chicago.
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