FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A Flagler County School bus driver is facing charges of child neglect and driving under the influence after police said he drove dozens of middle school students home with a blood alcohol content four times the legal limit.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office arrested 60-year-old Mark McNeil Wednesday shortly before 5 p.m. Two breath tests showed McNeil's BAC was 0.32 and 0.31, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
A co-worker with direct contact with McNeil said they could smell alcohol on McNeil and reported it to supervisors. McNeil drove off in a bus not assigned to him and proceeded to his usual pick-up location at Buddy Taylor Middle School to pick up students, the release says.
McNeil picked up approximately 40 children from the school and began to drop them off at their bus stops, according to the release. After attempts by school transportation officials to contact McNeil by radio were ignored, he used the radio to notify the school district that he was having a medical emergency, the release says.
McNeil's supervisor eventually found him on his route, where McNeil exited the bus and fell to the ground, complaining that he couldn't breathe, the release says. Flagler County Fire Rescue crews arrived and rook him to AventHealth in Palm Coast.
The sheriff's office was notified, and deputies arrived to the hospital. When deputies got there, McNeil attempted to flee from the hospital, according to the release.
Deputies caught McNeil moments later and could smell alcohol coming from him, the release says. McNeil also showed signs of intoxication and resisted arrest, deputies said.
McNeil was arrested for driving under the influence with passengers under 18, resisting officer without violence and at least one charge of child neglect. Further charges are pending, and the sheriff's office says, once all 40 students aboard the bus are identified, McNeil could face 39 additional counts of child neglect.
He is now out on bond.
Three days ago, the Florida Highway Patrol cited McNeil for failure to obey a stop sign when he was involved in a school bus crash while driving the same afternoon bus route, according to the news release.
“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 the 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.”
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