Brian Dunlap

A school bus driver was charged with driving under the influence of drugs after those aboard the bus became suspicious of his behavior yesterday.

Brian Dunlap, 38, of Friendship was arrested and charged with DUI as well as 15 counts of endangering the welfare of children and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.

Alexa New, interim executive director of Pittsburgh Cares, said her organization hired SD Transit to take about 15 Pittsburgh Carrick High School students to Duquesne for a day of service and then to the Carnegie Science Center. She said a chaperone called 911 after questions arose about the driver's behavior.

Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard said that an aide reported that when the driver arrived at the science center, he nearly hit a pole, laughed it off, had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. When leaving the science center, the aide observed that the driver's eyes were more bloodshot and words slurred, she said.

When he ran a red light, the aide called 911 around 6:45 p.m., she said. Police came and observed "bloodshot eyes, extremely slurred speech, swaying back and forth," Ms. Richard said.

Ms. Richard said the driver underwent a field sobriety test and then was taken to a police station. An expert in drug recognition concluded he was not under the influence of alcohol but possibily was under the influence of a controlled substance.He was deemed too impaired to safely operate a motor vehicle. He was taken to UPMC Mercy for further tests and then to the Allegheny County jail.

Ms. New said that parents picked up children to take them home.

Ebony Pugh, spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, said the trip was not affiliated with the school district. She said that the district does have a small contract with that bus company, but the driver is not on the list of bus drivers eligible to drive for the school district.

An unidentified person answering the phone at SD Transit said the company had no comment at this time.

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