Drunken Bus Driver Crashed Twice While Transporting Scouts: PD

BAITING HOLLOW, NY — A woman was charged with driving while intoxicated while transporting day campers from the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp, run by the Boy Scouts of America, Tuesday, police said.

According to Riverhead Town Police, at 4:37 p.m. a call came in from the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp on Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow regarding a First Student bus company bus driver operating a bus with juvenile day campers and camp staff onboard, while having "possible altered mental status or under the influence" and while attempting to transport the day campers from the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp.

Riverhead Police Department patrol division units responded to the scene and found that the bus driver, Diane M. Juergens, 61, of Ridge, had just been involved in two crashes while operating the bus on Sound Avenue near Oak Hills in Baiting Hollow, just west of the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp, with campers and one camp counselor/staff member onboard the bus, police said. She left the scene of both crashes, police said.

Juergens was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated driving while intoxicated — Leandra's Law; two counts of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

The bus, belonging to the First Student Bus Company of Hicksville, was impounded and held at the Riverhead Police impound, police said. Juergens was transported to Riverhead Police headquarters where she was processed and held for arraignment, police said.

No injuries were reported; all juvenile day campers were returned to their families without incident, police said.

The Baiting Hollow Scout Camp recently had its new lodge dedicated to Andrew McMorris, 12, a Boy Scout from Wading River killed by a drunk driver in Manorville while out on a hike with his troop in 2018.

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The Suffolk County Council, Boy Scouts of America, issued a statement: "Nothing is more important than the safety of our youth members. As part of our regular safety measures, we always have a staff member onboard each bus that takes youth members to and from camp. Upon realizing that something was wrong with the bus driver, our staff member took immediate action, and we were able to safely remove all youth members from the bus before contacting authorities. There were no injuries thanks to this quick action.

The First Student Bus Company did not immediately return a call for comment