School bus driver arrested for DWI

A 44-year-old bus driver was arrested Wednesday after a concerned citizen reported just after midnight the same day that a St. Louis County School District driver consuming alcohol while off duty.

“There were concerns he was highly intoxicated and would not be sober by morning when he would likely begin his route,” a St. Louis County news release said.

The driver, Anthony Israelson, was processed for DWI after patrol deputies intercepted the bus on its route outside Grand Lake, about 14 miles north of Cloquet.

Deputies first made contact with the driver at his home early Wednesday, and Israelson said he was not working. The school district was notified of this information and shortly after 7 a.m., deputies received word from the district that the driver was in fact working and had started his route. Deputies located the bus on Independence Road. The bus was pulled over without incident, the news release said.

At the time of the stop, the bus contained 17 children. All were reported to be uninjured and doing well. The school district sent out staff to take custody of the bus and children, who were students at Southridge School in Alborn. They also notified parents of the incident.

Israelson was ultimately booked at the St. Louis County jail on pending charges of second degree DWI. Both offenses are gross misdemeanors. While official blood results were not immediately available, his preliminary breath test results indicated his blood alcohol content to be 0.16, twice the legal limit. According to MN statute 169A.31, there is zero tolerance for a person to be under the influence of any amount of alcohol while operating a school bus. An official charging decision will be handled by the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office.