A newly filed lawsuit alleges a charter bus driver was intoxicated while transporting NorthWood High School choir students on a 2024 field trip to Michigan.
The complaint, filed in Elkhart County, says John Schmidt was driving students, chaperones and teachers from Nappanee to Grand Rapids on May 26, 2024, when he began showing signs of intoxication. The lawsuit says Schmidt was employed by Berea Transport LLC.
According to the complaint, Schmidt was speeding, driving erratically, failing to maintain his lane and hit traffic cones during the trip. Chaperones eventually got him to pull over at a McDonald’s in Schoolcraft, Michigan.
The lawsuit alleges Schmidt later admitted to police he had poured 20 ounces of Fireball whiskey into a cup before he began driving. The complaint says he was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages from Schmidt and Berea Transport. WVPE reached out to the plaintiff’s attorney and Berea Transport for comment.
