Mass. school bus driver arrested for 3rd OUI offense

HOPKINTON, Mass. - A school bus driver in Massachusetts is charged with operating under the influence -- his third such offense -- while driving a bus full of high school students, police say, reports CBS Boston.

Authorities say the received a call on Saturday at around 10:30 p.m. from a coach on the bus, which was transporting 25 Hopkinton High School athletes who were returning from a meet in Falmouth, on Cape Cod. The coach reported concerns that the driver might be intoxicated, according to authorities.

Police met the bus as it turned into the high school's parking lot in suburban Boston.

The bus driver, identified as Robert Murphy, 59, of Ashland, was given a field sobriety test, police said. He was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, his third offense. He was also charged with operating a motor vehicle to endanger, according to the station.

Boys Cross Country Coach Jennifer Fairbanks told CBS Boston that the bus was swerving.

"We were heading home from a race down on Cape Cod and there were a few things that I finally put together," Fairbanks said. "It still makes me nervous."

Fairbanks said she called police, but she didn't want the students to know anything was wrong.

"I was just dealing directly with police," she said. "My biggest concern was just keeping all the kids on the bus safe."

Murphy was expected to be arraigned in Framingham District Court.