Cottage Grove school bus driver charged with DUI in February incident

A school bus driver was charged with driving under the influence after executives say he evidenced up at Cottage Grove s Park High School last winter intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit for driving a private car Minnesota s standard for school bus drivers however is zero Joshua Nathaniel Lueth of Hastings had his first court appearance last week He was charged in March with one count of second-degree driving under the influence and one count of second-degree driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of above and one count of intentionally obstructing resisting or interfering with a peace officer engaging in his official duties The criminal complaint in Washington County District Court gives the following details about the Feb episode Shortly after p m Cottage Grove police received a description of a feasible drunken driver in front of the school The caller a school employee reported she was trying to stop the school bus driver from leaving the property When police arrived at the school an officer questioned Lueth if he had driven the bus to the school Lueth responded to the officer that he has a job and to leave him alone because he has the last half of his direction to complete The officer noticed there were two students on board the bus ages and The -year-old uses a wheelchair the complaint explained School staff mentioned that Leuth was having trouble earlier using the lift that helped the aspirant using the wheelchair into the bus and had leaned on the lift to maintain his balance Officers saw that Lueth was speaking slowly and slurring his words that his eyes were red and glassy and that he was having trouble maintaining his balance Lueth explained that he hadn t taken any prescribed medication or controlled substances or consumed alcohol Lueth was taken into custody His blood-alcohol concentration from a blood sample was Video obtained by investigators demonstrated that during the drive to the high school Lueth crossed the center lane several times on U S Upon arriving at the school he pulled into a non-bus lane and had to make a U-turn against the flow of traffic Shortly after he arrived at the school a staff member took the bus keys away from him The bus was owned and operated by Hastings-based Big River Bus Co Lueth s driving record indicated that he had been charged with drunken driving in Wisconsin in an circumstance on Dec in Pepin County That occurrence is still pending He is expected in court again on June Related Articles St Paul man gets nearly -year prison term for home invasion baseball bat attack Key Republican says he won t back Trump s pick for top DC prosecutor because of Jan ties Ex-Isanti police officer sentenced for sending lewd photo to friend s daughter St Paul Sgt Vick remembered years after he was killed in line of duty burglaries K stolen Eight men now face racketeering charges