School van company suspended for drunken driving incident
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles suspends all of Ride-Rite Medi-Van Co.'s school pupil transportation licenses, and the company will be required to pay $100 per suspended registration for each of the vehicles. Michael Tantillo was allegedly drunk when he transported a special-needs student for four hours, and he did not have a school bus driver’s license.
LEOMINSTER, Mass. — A school van company was put on suspension for seven days after one of its drivers was arrested for drunken driving while transporting a blind student, the Telegram & Gazette reports.
In the Oct. 17 incident, a 15-year-old student was transported for four hours in a Ride-Rite Medi-Van Co. vehicle by Michael Tantillo, who was allegedly drunk at the time. The newspaper reports that Tantillo has an extensive driving record, including seven prior license suspensions. He was charged with kidnapping, drunken driving and child endangerment. In addition, he did not have a school bus driver’s license at the time.
The state Registry of Motor Vehicles suspended all of Ride-Rite Medi-Van Co.'s school pupil transportation licenses over the incident. The company will be required to pay $100 per suspended registration for each of the 23 vehicles to be reinstated.
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