Police: Cumberland school bus driver was drunk

The bus driver, Charles Wynn, stopped his bus near the intersection of Cliffdale and Pritchett roads at about 2:45 p.m. to discipline a student, and a Ford Expedition rear-ended the bus, police said.

When officers arrived to investigate the wreck, they smelled alcohol on Wynn and administered a field sobriety test, police said.

Wynn registered a 0.20 on the test. North Carolina law considers drivers of commercial vehicles like school buses to be drunk when they have a blood-alcohol content of 0.04.

Police charged Wynn, 49, of 1899 Windlock Drive, with operating a school bus after consuming alcohol, driving while impaired while operating a commercial vehicle and driving while subject to an impairing substance.

The driver of the Expedition, Travis Hunter, 29, of 6662 Flintshire Road, was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating a vehicle with a revoked license.

The bus was taking 18 students home from Lewis Chapel Middle School at the time of the wreck, Cumberland County Schools officials said.

Two students were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, school officials said, and three others went to the hospital later for treatment.

The other students were transferred to a second bus to be taken home, officials said. District officials called the students' parents Friday evening to inform them of the incident.

Wynn, who had no previous convictions, works as a night custodian at 71st High School and also is a substitute bus driver for the district, officials said.

District officials were investigating the incident for possible disciplinary action.