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Shelton Bus Driver Who Fell Asleep At The Wheel Arrested

SHELTON, Conn. -- A bus driver for Shelton schools who was removed from his post after falling asleep at the wheel earlier this month has been arrested, according to police.

Paul Pixley

Paul Pixley

Photo Credit: Shelton Police Department

Paul Pixley, 55, of Derby was charged with 30 counts of risk of injury to a minor, second-degree breach of peace, second-degree reckless endangerment and reckless driving. He was held on $75,000 bond and will be arraigned on Wednesday.

The arrest stems from an incident that occurred on Friday, Dec. 16. At around 3:40 p.m. Shelton police received a call that a bus driver was falling asleep while driving and swerving all over the road. Police said that they were able to pull the bus over on Nichols Avenue by Earl Street. There were no children on the bus when it was pulled over, police said.

An officer spoke with Pixley, and an assistant manager of Landmark Transportation, the district's main transportation provider, arrived on the scene and drove the bus away.

Detectives were assigned to investigate the incident. Police said that detectives determined that at one point there were 30 children on the bus while Pixley was driving it. He appeared to fall asleep several times while the children were on the bus, resulting in children getting off at earlier stops, according to police.

Following the incident Shelton Superintendent Christopher Clouet sent a letter to parents and the rest of the community, informing them of what had happened and assuring them that Pixley would no longer be driving students in Shelton.

"This incident put the students on the bus in danger. Many of the students are your children!" Clouet wrote. "I, along with our school principals, our Transportation Coordinator Jim Burns, and the entire Board of Education are very upset about what happened. The driver in question will never drive in Shelton again!"

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