CREEDMOOR, N.C. (WTVD) – A school bus driver is said to have driven children to school under the influence of alcohol.

Creedmoor Police arrested 45-year-old Lauren Coble on several charges related to driving under the influence, including 53 counts of child endangerment.

Investigators received reports of erratic driving by Coble’s school bus on its morning route on Thursday, August 29.

Coble turned herself in on September 5 after charges were formally filed against her. The warrant for Coble’s arrest also accused her of texting while riding the bus, crossing the center line and failing to stop at a stop sign.

“Our department fully supports the administration of Granville County Public Schools and their commitment to ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” said Creedmoor Police Chief Troy Wheless. “We will work closely with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure that anyone who endangers the safety of our students, staff and members of the public at any of our schools is held accountable for their actions.”

The school district confirmed Thursday that Coble worked as a bus driver and teaching assistant at Mount Energy Elementary School. She no longer works for the school.

Granville County Public Schools confirmed that video cameras are installed on every school bus, but said the videos are not made publicly available.

Full district statement:
“We recently received a report from the public that one of our yellow school buses was operating erratically on its morning route. We immediately removed the driver from duty and investigated the incident. The employee was subsequently terminated. In addition, we immediately contacted the police. Families and staff at the affected school were also notified by phone and email from Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne. We will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement and support strong consequences when they and the justice system deem appropriate.

Fortunately, no students, staff or anyone else was injured as a result of the former employee’s actions. We deeply regret this incident and will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our students when they are in our care. We conduct comprehensive background checks on all employees. All employees who hold a CDL (commercial driver’s license) are subject to drug and alcohol testing upon receipt of the CDL, randomly throughout the school year, and when concerns arise.
Additionally, all of our buses are equipped with cameras and GPS systems. Assistant Principal Courtney Currin stated, “The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and we hold those who compromise that safety accountable. We also encourage all citizens to report anything that is of concern – our motto is ‘If you see something, say something.’ We thank the brave individual who reported the incident.”