New PA Law Proposed After Drunk School Bus Driver Incident In Montco: Authorities

RED HILL, PA — New legislation will soon be introduced in Pennsylvania after police said a woman recklessly drove a school bus full of children while severely intoxicated in Montgomery County.

The bill, proposed by Montgomery County's State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, would significantly increase penalties for drunk or drugged bus drivers.

"We must do all that we can to protect children, especially as they are transported to and from school and school-sponsored events," Pennycuick said in a statement.

Related: Children Alerted Parents During Terrifying Bus Ride With Drunk Driver: Montco DA

The new legislation would mandate tougher sentencing for similar crimes.

Fifty four elementary school children were on board a bus in Douglass Township on Feb. 6 when Kelly Weber, 46, of Boyertown got behind the wheel. Police said she swerved aggressively into oncoming traffic and appeared to slump half-asleep over the wheel before eventually pulling into a snow bank.

She had opened bottles of Tito's vodka in the bus and her blood alcohol level was 0.331 percent, four times the legal limit for a regular driver and nearly 16 times the legal limit for a school bus driver, the district attorney's office said.

"Approximately 1.5 million children are transported on school buses every day in the commonwealth, and parents and guardians must have confidence that their children are in capable hands," Pennycuick added. "In the past, the General Assembly has acted to protect children from dangerous motorists when loading and unloading the school bus. Now, we must take action to discourage perilous behavior by school bus drivers.

A co-sponsorship memorandum has been released but the bill has not yet been formally introduced in the Pennsylvania senate. Further steps are expected in the coming weeks.