Hartland bus driver held on $1 million bond, parents say kids are horrified
WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Hartland Bus Driver Walter Cunningham is now charged with 28 felony charges of second degree recklessly endangering safety after allegedly operating while intoxicated. The charges are for each student who was on the bus and a parent who eventually came on the bus to confront the driver.
"This could have been honestly one of the greatest tragedies in Waukesha County history," said Waukesha County Commissioner, Chris Bailey. "This could have been so much worse, this is terrible."
Cunningham appeared in court on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The criminal complaint revealed new details about what parents say was a horrifying ordeal Monday, as their kids rode a Hartland-Lakeside School District bus home.
"She, herself, as an 11-year-old, says she was kidnapped now," said a victim's parent in the courtroom. "That's how they are dealing with this, she is just horrified."
The complaint says kids were screaming they wanted to get off the bus and that Cunningham told them to shut up multiple times saying, "I am God on this bus."
The report says a student called 911 saying the driver was acting erratically and wouldn’t let the kids off the bus, also claiming the driver pushed a student.
The complaint says Cunningham eventually pulled over and then a parent pulled his car in front of the bus saying he wanted his kids off the bus.
The Waukesha District Attorney's Office says as a parent was confronting him, the bus was not in park, saying Cunningham got up to yell at him and the vehicle started moving. The driver then let the kids off and drove away and was caught by police.
"I will never forget the look of this little kindergartener that came right to me when she got off the school bus with these big blue teary eyes, not knowing where she lives and how to get home," said another victim's parent who helped at the scene.
Police say Cunningham admitted to taking many prescription drugs and say his voice was slurred and his balance was off. He is also facing a charge of operating while intoxicated.
There is a possibility for additional charges to be filed in this case, it's still an active investigation.
Cunningham is being held on a one-million-dollar cash bond.