School bus driver convicted of child endangerment

School bus driver Colleen Eutermarks of Wantage has been convicted of operating a school bus with students onboard while under the influence of alcohol, acting Sussex County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said Thursday, Oct. 26.

After a two-week trial, she was convicted of 27 separate counts of child endangerment for each student that she transported while intoxicated. Each count is a second-degree crime, which carries the possibility of five to 10 years in state prison.

“There is no excuse for the reckless behavior Ms. Eutermarks displayed on January 28, 2022, which put 27 innocent students directly in harm’s way,” Taggart said. “The Sussex County jury clearly held Ms. Eutermarks accountable for her terrible decision-making that day.”

On Jan. 28, 2022, Eutermarks was seen operating a full-sized yellow school bus erratically on County Road 565 in Frankford. She eventually was stopped by the New Jersey State Police.

Troopers determined that she displayed signs of impairment and she was arrested. At the barracks, she provided a breath sample indicating that her blood alcohol content was .34, which was more than eight times the legal limit permitted for a person to operate a commercial vehicle, such as a bus.

The State Police found that Eutermarks had picked up students from both Wallkill Valley Regional High School and Franklin Elementary School while operating the bus intoxicated.

The jury saw various evidence in the case, including the body-worn camera videos and the partially consumed bottle of vodka found in Eutermarks’ purse.

“I would like to thank the New Jersey State Police for their diligence in this matter, which help bring about this just result,” Taggart said.