Gwinnett County

Gwinnett driver fired for allegedly texting, driving with students on board school bus

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County school bus driver is out of a job after she was caught texting and driving.

A couple spotted the woman using her phone and snapped pictures.

A tipster told Channel 2's Tony Thomas they were driving down Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and snapped the photos of the driver od a bus for disabled students appearing to text and drive in March.

That person told Thomas they immediately called the school district, but nothing was done. The tipster didn't give up and kept calling. They finally in touch with the right people.

“We believe we have the best and safest drivers not only in the state and in the country,” said Bernard Watson with Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Watson said despite the seriousness of the situation, top administrators weren't told of the pictures of a school bus driver appearing to text and drive, until weeks after the first complaint was made.

TRENDING STORIES:

Top brass fired the driver, and also disciplined the supervisor who took the first complaint.

“Do instances like this come up very often? We don't believe they come up very often,” Watson said.

The tipster said there were children on the bus and the driver appeared to text and then talk on her phone as she drove.

“Of course, that not only violates school district policy, but it is against the law, so we took action and terminated the employee,” Watson told Thomas.

This firing comes on the heels of another video surfacing of a DeKalb County bus driver appearing to text and drive on Interstate 20 last month. She too was fired.

“I would tell my teens to call the police or report the people,” parent David Hernandez told Thomas.

Hernandez said he has three children who ride Gwinnett County school buses.

“To me it's better to leave the cellphone away and put your head where you are going,” he said.

“We would like to thank the good Samaritan for her determination and persistence in letting us know about this incident,” Watson said.

School administrators say the bus driver fired in Gwinnett County had driven for the school district for five years.