Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
On Monday March 31 it was discovered that Battle Creek Public Schools bus driver Kevin Frederick was operating a school bus on a suspended license, according to Fox17online.com. Frederick was involved in a minor accident which led police to discover Frederick’s driving status, along with other outstanding warrants involving retail fraud. The bus driver was arraigned on the suspended license charge on Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred in a Burger King parking lot in Battle Creek just before 9 a.m. when Frederick struck another vehicle because he was blinded by the sun. There were no injuries reported, and no school children were aboard the bus at the time.
Battle Creek Police Department Sgt. Troy Gilleylen said that Frederick also had warrants related to a 2013 criminal case involving bad checks in addition to a suspended license. Linda Hicks, Superintendent of Battle Creek Public Schools, issued a statement claiming that the board believed Frederick had a valid driver’s license at the time the accident took place.
According to their contracts, bus drivers are obligated to inform the school district when they lose their license. District leadership coach Karen Hart told reporters that it was possible that someone “forgot to tell them.” Authorities allege that Frederick avoided them in not informing the district that he had been charged with a crime and regarding his driver’s license suspension. Potential school employees are required to be fingerprinted under state law as part of a criminal background check.
Frederick was lodged at the Calhoun County Jail and is scheduled back in court on April 16 on the suspended license charge.
Although news reports do not indicate why the bus driver’s license had been suspended, all individuals who drive a school bus to transport children in Michigan must have a CDL (commercial driver’s license) with a school bus (S) endorsement and passenger (P) endorsement.
As is evidenced by the story above, a suspended license can result in the ruin of an individual’s career. Whether you are the driver of a school bus, taxi, shuttle bus, or other vehicle requiring a special license or an individual whose regular driver’s license has been suspended or revoked due to DUI or reckless driving, consult with an experienced and capable Michigan drivers license reinstatment attorney right away.