Moore Public Schools Bus Driver Arrested On DUI Complaint While Driving Bus
Beverly Cantrell - December 6, 2021 9:45 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY – News 9
A Moore Public Schools bus driver was arrested Monday morning on a complaint of driving under the influence.
Police reported seeing a bus driving erratically about 7:30 a.m. Monday.
Police said the bus was swerving “all over the road,” and “keeps hitting the curb,” according to scanner traffic.
James Adam Belcher, 39, was arrested on complaints of driving under the influence of drugs and reckless driving.
This happened near the intersection of Southwest 89th Street and Walker.
Spokespeople with the district said there were no kids on board the bus at the time, and that Belcher had not yet driven any students Monday morning.
This is Belcher’s third DUI arrest in Oklahoma County.
In 2019, Belcher plead guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.
Court records said he was would have been working as a bus driver at the time but had lost his job due to COVID. This was added to court records in reference to his ability to pay his court fees.
In 2006, Belcher plead guilty to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of liquor.
In 2003, he plead guilty to resisting an officer.
In 2000, he was charges with misdemeanor reckless driving.
Moore Public Schools spokespeople said Belcher was hired in October. His background check did not show a felony, and he passed the district’s required drug screen.
Not every DUI is a felony under Oklahoma law.
In a statement district spokespeople said he was immediately terminated Monday morning, and that “the safety and security of Moore Public Schools students and employees is our focused goal, and we will continue to assist the Oklahoma City Police Department in their investigation of this matter as needed.”