Driver sentenced for crash in WRTA bus

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A woman driving a WRTA bus who was charged following a crash investigation was sentenced Wednesday in her case.

Gloria Steward, 60, was found guilty of physical control (amended from an initial OVI charge) and hit skip, while the improper passing/lane straddling charges against her were dismissed, according to an Austintown court employee.

The employee said Steward was sentenced to 12 months of probation, to pay costs and fines, and her driver’s license was suspended for a year.

Steward was charged after the Western Reserve Transit Authority bus she had been driving collided with two vehicles on March 5 , according to a police report.

A witness said the driver of the WRTA bus “appeared to be going in and out of consciousness,” and police said the driver admitted to hitting the vehicle but denied drinking alcohol.

An Austintown police report said Steward tested positive on a breathalyzer test, so her blood was also tested. Laboratory results returned on May 19 showed she had a blood-alcohol content of .104, according to a police report. Charges were filed the next day.

No injuries were reported, and no one was on the bus at the time of the crash.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.