WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. - The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office will not file charges after an investigation into allegations that a school bus driver consumed alcohol before transporting students.
According to a joint statement from State’s Attorney Heiser, Sheriff Crisafulli, Superintendent Annette Wallace and the Worcester County Board of Education, Worcester County Public Schools reported the allegations to law enforcement on April 25. The allegations involved a bus driver accused of consuming alcohol before transporting students from Showell Elementary School and Berlin Intermediate School on April 24.
The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation reviewed available evidence, including written statements, bus schedules, in-bus video footage, GPS tracking information and breath test results collected by school officials.
Investigators said surveillance video from Ocean Downs Casino showed the bus driver consumed two alcoholic beverages over about 90 minutes beginning around 10:30 a.m. The joint statement says the driver’s wife also consumed alcoholic beverages before working as a bus aide on her husband’s bus.
According to the statement, a witness reported the alcohol consumption to a Worcester County Public Schools bus driver-trainer. The bus driver-trainer went to Showell Elementary School to assess the driver, but the notification came after the driver had already transported students from Berlin Intermediate School and before he was scheduled to transport students from Showell Elementary School.
After meeting with the driver, the bus driver-trainer determined the driver was not under the influence of alcohol. Following consultation with a school system administrator and a direct supervisor, the driver was allowed to finish transporting Showell Elementary School students home.
A school system administrator later required the driver to take a breath test through a Department of Transportation contractor in Salisbury. The test produced blood alcohol content readings of .08 and .089.
However, detectives determined the breath test instrument was calibrated with equipment that had been expired since September 2025. Investigators also said the contractor swabbed the driver’s cheek before the breath test, which the statement says scientifically invalidated the results and made them unreliable and inadmissible in a criminal prosecution.
The joint statement says a review of in-bus video did not suggest evidence of impairment. GPS tracking information also showed the bus was driven in compliance with traffic laws and speed limits during both routes.
Sheriff Crisafulli said the investigation was hindered by the failure of some school employees to timely report the allegations to law enforcement. He said the delay prevented detectives from conducting a standard on-scene investigation, including field sobriety tests, a preliminary breath test and a breath or blood test for alcohol.
State’s Attorney Heiser said his office declined prosecution after reviewing the admissible evidence.
“Based on my review of the admissible evidence collected by investigators after the delayed report, it is clear that the State lacks sufficient evidence to prove any traffic or criminal offenses beyond a reasonable doubt, and therefore the Office of the State’s Attorney for Worcester County will not bring charges,” Heiser said.
The Worcester County Board of Education and Wallace said they strongly condemn the driver’s actions and are disappointed by staff actions and decisions after the initial report.
The statement says Wallace was not informed of the incident until after the driver had completed both routes. WCPS said the matter was then reported to the State’s Attorney at her direction, and the school system cooperated with law enforcement.
WCPS said it also launched an internal investigation. While personnel matters were not discussed publicly, the school system said corrective actions have been taken and additional measures are being implemented to reinforce reporting expectations, accountability standards and student safety procedures.
