CMS bus driver charged, accused of driving while impaired

CHARLOTTE — A bus driver with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has been charged after being accused of driving while impaired on Thursday.

This occurred on the 800 block of Lightspun Lane.

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According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, 21 students were on board at the time of the incident.

Channel 9 spoke with Riley Lea, a parent who said her children were on the bus and are now traumatized.

“My kids came in franticly screaming and crying at the top of their lungs. I was in bed taking a nap, so I didn’t know what was going on,” Lea explained. “They said she kept hitting brakes and running through stop signs. He said he hit his face on the front of the seat; another kid hit the window.”

After speaking to her children, Lea said she rushed down the street and jumped onto the stopped school bus.

“I get on the bus; kids were crying; everyone was frantic; it was very traumatizing for them kids,” Lea elaborated.

Lea said one of her children ended up with a bloody nose and mouth.

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The driver of the school bus has been identified as 70-year-old Sylvia Ann Dollard.

She has been charged with driving while impaired and 21 counts of misdemeanor child abuse, according to police.

District leaders addressed the incident during a press conference Friday morning, saying:

“Unfortunately, we had a transportation incident yesterday with one of our buses at Oakdale Elementary. While we cannot go into specifics because of restrictions around personnel matters, we do and will hold staff to high standards.”

The district confirmed that Dollard was driving erratically at the time of the incident.

“If there were any injuries, they were extremely minor. The school principal was on-site, so we were able to contact parents immediately,” CMS officials said.

CMS also confirmed that Dollard has been suspended.

Dollard’s work history reveals that she has worked for the district on and off since 2014. She recently returned after a previous suspension without pay in 2022, according to CMS.

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