Background: The Lancaster County Department of Corrections in Lincoln, Nebraska (Google Maps). Inset: Betty Johnson (Lancaster County Sheriff's Office).
A Nebraska woman accused of driving a school bus with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit has accepted a plea deal.
Betty Johnson, 68, pleaded no contest to 0.15+ DUI, child abuse, and first-offense reckless driving, all misdemeanors, central Nebraska CBS affiliate KOLN reported. As part of the court agreement, prosecutors dropped two counts of transporting a child while intoxicated.
Johnson was a bus driver for the Norris School District in Lancaster County, Nebraska. On May 7, 2025, she drove her morning bus route with 40 children inside. Then, she apparently had time before her next scheduled route at noon.
She proceeded to drive that noon route and was set to drive an after-school bus route, too, but at about 3:30 p.m. that day, school staff contacted the sheriff's office's school resource officer with a concern. The deputy "made contact" with the staff and Johnson, and "during that time, Betty was noticeably extremely highly intoxicated," a sheriff's office spokesman said at a press conference the next day.
The suspect was given a breath test, "which she failed," authorities added. She reportedly had a 0.22 blood alcohol content, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08. She was arrested and taken to the local jail.
"Betty did admit to drinking prior to doing her noon bus route," the spokesman said, though it is unclear if she drank before the morning route, too. "I've been doing this job for 32 years now. I have never heard of a school bus driver being intoxicated, let alone this high."
Johnson also admitted to drinking after her noon bus route, which contained preschoolers, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
"We are very lucky that she got caught and was not allowed to do that after-school one," Chief Deputy Ben Houchin with the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office said, per KOLN.
The school district fired Johnson after her arrest, with officials adding that she "will not drive for our school district ever again."
"We want to emphasize that student safety is our number one priority and we thank the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office for their continued partnership with us to keep our students safe," the school district continued.