Burnet police investigate possible DWI in school bus accident

FROM STAFF REPORTS

BURNET — A woman remains in custody after she collided Dec. 2 with a Burnet Consolidated Independent School District bus stopped at an intersection and carrying about a dozen children, according to police.

Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson said one child was transported to an area emergency room as a “precautionary measure” at the request of a parent.

The incident happened at the intersection of Wood Street and RR 963 (East Graves) soon after a bus had picked up 10 children from Burnet Elementary School.

“It appears (the woman) was stopped at the stop sign and tried to pull out and realized she couldn’t, so she put it in reverse. And when it was time to pull out, she forgot that she had it in reverse,” Nelson said. “When she hit the accelerator, her vehicle went backwards instead of forward.

“It was very low-speed contact. There was hardly any damage to the school bus,” Nelson added.

A Burnet police officer arrested the driver of the vehicle, 50-year-old Karen Lopez, after the accident.

“During the investigation, the patrol officer determined that it appeared the driver of the suspect vehicle could be possibly under the influence of drugs — at which time, she was arrested under suspicion of (driving while intoxicated),” he said.

The officer reported he found prescription medication in the suspect’s vehicle.

“You’re surely not supposed to be operating a vehicle when you’re under that medication,” Nelson said.

The driver submitted to a blood draw at the Burnet County Jail. Investigators are awaiting the results of the toxicology test.

“There was no alcohol at the scene. There was no alcohol smell at the scene,” he said. “(The arrest) was strictly on how she was acting.”

No other injuries were reported.

editor@thepicayune.com