Butler County Sheriff, Scottie Ward got a call around 3:45 Friday afternoon.

"I received a complaint that some of the kids had got off the bus and had told their parents that they thought the school bus driver was intoxicated," he says.

Sheriff Ward then contacted the Butler County School Board to see if they could reach 55-year-old Sandra Ford, the driver of the bus through their radios.

"I had no radio contact with the bus and I didn't know the exact route of the
bus," says Ward.

Superintendent Scott Howard along with the bus director made a plan of action and went to stop the bus.

When they stopped Ford, they pulled her off the bus and took her back to the educational complex.

"I gave her two field sobriety tests, she failed both and I arrested her there for a DUI," says Ward.

Meanwhile another driver took over Ford's route and got the kids home safely.

"My kids road her school bus last year," says Kenneth Luyet, "and she was a good bus driver, she was one of the best they ever had and I know she's wrong for drinking and driving she deserves to be where she's at."

Ford is currently in the Butler County Jail, her bond is 25,000 dollars.

"If she's going to continue to keep drinking and driving she doesn't need to be operating a school bus," says Luyet.

According to police this is Ford's only drunk driving offense, she's also charged with 40 counts on Wanton Endangerment, one count for each child on the bus.