West Chicago school bus driver charged with on-duty DUI

A bus driver was charged with felony drunken driving Friday after giving rides to dozens of West Chicago elementary school students.

Jill Beebe, 42, admitted drinking four bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and two “strong” vodka-lemonade cocktails before going to bed around midnight and starting her route at 6 a.m., authorities said.

West Chicago school officials called police after a teacher’s aide smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath during her first stop to pick up 62 children at Pioneer Elementary School, according to DuPage County prosecutors.

Assistant State’s Attorney Anne Therieau said Beebe was ordered to stop by a bus dispatcher, but she continued on to Gary Elementary School, where she dropped off 55 children and picked up 44 others.

Police confronted the driver during a third stop at Currier Elementary School. Therieau said Beebe was “chewing a lot of gum” and appeared “extremely nervous.” She failed field sobriety tests and registered a 0.086 blood-alcohol level, though she denied drinking that morning, prosecutors said.

The South Elgin woman appeared later in bond court, where Judge Terence Sheen set bail at $100,000. Beebe would have to post $10,000 to be released. She told the judge she plans to hire a private attorney.

West Chicago Elementary School District 33 Superintendent Kathy Wolfe said Beebe was not an employee of the district, but of Illinois Central School Bus in St. Charles, which has been under contract with the district for three years.

Wolfe called the situation an “isolated incident” and said school employees acted quickly for the safety of the students, none of whom were injured.

“All is safe, all is well,” she said. “The students are fine.”

Wolfe said parents were notified by the district, and Beebe’s route will be taken over by a different Illinois Central driver.

Illinois Central Contract Manager Louis Garcia confirmed a driver was charged with DUI but said he had no further information.

“At this point, we’re still investigating the incident ourselves,” he said.

State’s Attorney Bob Berlin thanked police for responding quickly and lauded school officials and the bus company for their cooperation.

“Because of their actions, perhaps a heartbreaking crisis has been averted,” he said. “The mere allegation that a school bus driver responsible for the lives of dozens of young children would even consider getting behind the wheel of a bus after they had been drinking is unconscionable.”

Beebe, of the 600 block of Sunbury Road, has been ordered not to operate a school bus, among other conditions, while her case is pending. If convicted, she could receive probation or one to three years in prison. She has no prior criminal history.

Her next court date is Sept. 23 in front of Judge George Bakalis.