Woman sentenced to prison and probation for driving school bus while intoxicated with students on board

A Chisago County judge has sentenced a woman accused of driving a school bus while intoxicated on a road with dozens of students on board to jail time and probation.

Kara Jean Ffrench, 59, was dismissed on one count of driving while intoxicated, but will still have to serve jail time and years of probation on a separate DUI charge.

French was initially sentenced to 364 days in the Chisago County Jail. However, the judge decided to instead keep her behind bars for 15 days and the remaining 349 days on 4 years of probation. French was also given four days credit for time served.

Back in FebruaryFrench was arrested on suspicion of criminal mischief after a bus carrying four dozen students ran off the road in Rush City.

The bus, which was carrying 49 Rush City Schools students at the time, ran off the road on Game Avenue, north of Tiger Trail, shortly before 8:15 a.m. Chisago County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the location of the bus and reportedly saw French, the bus driver, exhibiting signs of impairment, which led to her arrest.

None of the students on the bus were injured.