He’s accused of driving impaired with students aboard
A Waterford school bus driver accused of driving into a cornfield with four students on the bus was charged Thursday with four counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
Jason S. Stalbaum, 38, of Waterford, appeared in Racine County Circuit Court Thursday to face the four Class F felony charges.
The court commissioner found probable cause that a crime was committed and set bond for Stalbaum at $50,000, according to online court records. He was also ordered not to possess or consume controlled substances.
In addition, Stalbaum has been cited for operating while intoxicated – first offense, hit and run causing property damage, unsafe lane deviation and failure to report an accident, according to the Racine County Sheriff’s department.
The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 2:11 p.m. Tuesday regarding the incident, which occurred in the 3200 block of Buena Park Road in the Town of Waterford, according to a news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office Tuesday night.
A caller said the bus swerved off the road, through a ditch and into a cornfield before returning to the road. None of the passengers – four special education students – were injured.
Responding deputies learned from the bus company – S&J Services Inc., of Waterford – that the driver was still on his route and children were on the bus.
Deputies located the bus and pulled the driver over on Highway 11 near Highway J in the Town of Burlington. The bus had pieces of corn stalks hanging from the undercarriage, according to the release.
The deputy who pulled the bus over reported that Stalbaum displayed indicators of impairment, including facial and body tremors, according to the criminal complaint.
Stalbaum allegedly admitted to taking Clonazepam, an antianxiety drug, and morphine sulphate earlier that day and smoking marijuana in the previous day, the complaint contends.
He allegedly told the deputy he stockpiles Clonazepam to use recreationally and that he “balloons out” or “checks out” while using it.
Julie Johnson, co-owner of S&J Services, confirmed that as of Wednesday morning Stalbaum was no longer employed by the bus company. She also confirmed that he is the son of one of the company’s owners.
A preliminary hearing in the felony case is set for Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. in Racine County Circuit Court.
See next week’s print edition of the Waterford Post for complete coverage of the incident.
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