Driver of school bus for special needs children accused of DUI after crash: prosecutors

A motion for pre-trial release was denied Tuesday for a Naperville woman accused of crashing a school bus that transports special needs children, prosecutors said.

Lauren Williams, 34, of the 4S700 block of Innisbrook Drive, appeared at First Appearance Court charged with one count of aggravated DUI–school bus driver, and one count of driving too fast for conditions or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 12:50 p.m. Sept. 9, Lombard police responded to a call of a crash involving a school bus that transports special needs children and an in-ground junction box in the 300 block of West St. Charles Road, according to the release.

Officers found Williams, later identified as the driver of the bus, seated in the driver’s seat of the bus, talking on her phone, authorities said.

Williams allegedly dropped off the last of her passengers, drove off the road, over a curb and struck the in-ground junction box. After the crash, she allegedly drove the bus to a nearby Walgreens parking lot, where officers found her, according to the release.

At the time of the crash, only Williams and an aide to the children were on the bus. When speaking with Williams, police noticed signs of impairment including slow/delayed speech, droopy eyelids and trouble keeping her eyes open, authorities said. Williams was arrested at this time.

“The allegations that Ms. Williams was under the influence of an intoxicating substance while she was driving a school bus full of children are disturbing,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “The type of behavior alleged in this case that put the lives of the children on the bus, as well as those of the motoring public, in danger will not be tolerated in DuPage County. Thankfully, there were no children aboard the bus at the time of the crash and Ms. Williams’ alleged actions did not harm anyone.”

Williams’ next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 7 for arraignment.