HARTLAND, Wis. — A school bus driver who was arrested earlier this week now faces dozens of felony charges. 


What You Need To Know

  • A school bus driver who was arrested earlier this week now faces dozens of felony charges

  • The driver has since been identified as 72-year-old Walter Cunningham

  • On Monday, Jan. 27 at 4:23 p.m., a student placed a call to the Waukesha County Communications dispatch and reported a bus driver was “acting erratically” and refused to let kids off the bus, according to the Hartland Police Department. According to the criminal complaint, he also pushed a student

  • Cunningham has been charged with 1 count of Operating While Intoxicated, First Offense with a passenger under the age of 16 years old and 28 felony counts of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety

On Monday, Jan. 27 at 4:23 p.m., a student placed a call to the Waukesha County Communications dispatch and reported a bus driver was “acting erratically” and refused to let kids off the bus, according to the Hartland Police Department. According to the criminal complaint, he allegedly pushed a student.

Dispatchers said there was screaming and sounds of chaos in the background.

The driver has since been identified as 72-year-old Walter Cunningham.

Cunningham eventually let the kids off the bus, the criminal complaint stated. He told police he started to pull over when a driver pulled their car in front of the bus. The driver said he wanted his kids off the bus and that his wife had received a phone call from their daughter about what was going on.

The driver said “at that point he did not care and that he wanted all of the kids off his bus.” He later told officers he did not kick the kids off the bus, but they quickly exited out of the vehicle when he pulled over.

Kids were either picked up by parents, walked home or were walked home by other parents. It was about 30 degrees.

Kids on the bus were scared and feared for their safety, per the criminal complaint.

Cunningham drove away but police eventually stopped the bus. According to the complaint, he told police he had taken multiple medications and said he did not consume any alcoholic beverages that day.

Police said between the phone call, Cunningham’s glassy eyes, his slurred speech and observations made during sobriety tests, among other factors, they determined he was impaired.

Video footage obtained by police showed Cunningham getting out of the driver’s seat without putting the bus in park. Video also shows him abruptly stopping multiple times — including in the middle of the road.

Cunningham has been charged with 1 count of Operating While Intoxicated, First Offense with a passenger under the age of 16 years old and 28 felony counts of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety.

If convicted of the OWI charge, Cunningham could face fines between $350 to $1,100 and prison time ranging from five days to six months. He could also have his license suspended for 12 to 18 months.

Each reckless endangering safety charge comes with a fine of up to $25,000 and up to 10 years in prison.

He appeared in court on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Two of the victims testified in court. Cunningham is being held on a $1 million cash bond.

Cunningham was ordered to maintain absolute sobriety. He cannot possess controlled substances without a prescription and must take medications as prescribed. He cannot operate a motor vehicle.

A preliminary hearing has been set for March 3.

Read the full criminal complaint below: 

 

Aly Prouty - Digital Media Producer

Aly Prouty is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky. An award-winning, multimedia journalist, she holds an honors B.A. in journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in journalism and media studies from The University of Alabama.