Bus driver charged with felony DWI following crash involving 10 children

Diane Juergens was arraigned on a 38-count indictment, which included a DWI felony charge.

News 12 Staff

Aug 3, 2021, 10:18 AM

Updated 1,228 days ago

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A bus driver for a Suffolk day camp was indicted Tuesday after police say she was drunk while driving children on the bus.
Prosecutors say 61-year-old Diane Juergens' blood alcohol level was 0.27, nearly three times the legal limit when she crashed twice with 10 kids on board in July. Juergens was arraigned on a 38-count indictment, which included a DWI felony charge.
They say Juergens was driving them home from the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp. The children ages ranged from 6 to 10 years old. There was also a camp counselor on board at the time of the crash.
Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini called the case against Juergens a heinous crime.
"The defendant was entrusted to make sure these children returned home from camp safely," says Sini. "Instead, she put all their lives in danger, driving more than three times over the legal limit, failing to pull over even after crashing her bus twice. It's a miracle that none of the children were physically injured by her reckless actions."
Juergens is also charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident and 10 counts of child endangerment.
The judge placed Juergens on supervised release. She must wear a bracelet that will monitor her GPS location as well as her drug and alcohol intake.