School Bus Driver Charged with DUI Received Previous Complaints
Tennessee bus driver Hollis Clay Walker allegedly crashes into a gate and sideswipes a fence on his route and is found with Klonopin pills. Several other complaints state that Walker had almost hit cars.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A school bus driver here who was charged with a DUI after a crash last week had several complaints filed about his driving before, Knoxville News-Sentinel reports.
Bus driver Hollis Clay Walker was charged with DUI, reckless endangerment, and simple drug possession after a crash in which police said he struck a gate and sideswiped a fence while driving students to school, according to the newspaper. No students were injured in the crash. Police said Walker appeared to have suffered a medical problem during the incident, Knoxville News-Sentinel reports. Arrest warrants state that Walker had a bottle of Klonopin pills, an anti-anxiety medication, in his possession from a prescription that was not in his name, according to the newspaper. The prescription was for 90 pills, but only 69 pills were in the bottle.
Documents in Walker’s file state that five complaints were made about him, ranging from Jan. 6, 2015, to Jan. 19, 2016, according to Knoxville-News Sentinel. In the most recent complaint, a woman said that Walker's bus "almost took out her car" while turning onto the highway. Three previous complaints were also about Walker almost hitting cars, the newspaper reports. The documents also state that Walker was placed on conditional status in November 2013 and removed from his route for letting several students get off the bus after they refused to sit down, Knoxville News-Sentinel reports.
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre said in a statement Monday that Walker was removed from the schools' bus driver eligibility roster and will be removed permanently if found guilty of the current charges, according to the newspaper.
To read the full story, go here.
More Safety

The Driver Shortage Playbook
How student transportation fleets are hiring, retaining and adapting .
Read More →
Pro-Vision Launches AI-Powered 360° Camera System
The new Birdseye camera delivers real-time AI-based pedestrian and vehicle detections, full visibility around the bus, and telematics integrations.
Read More →
N.Y. & N.J. Coalitions Call for Modernized Transportation for Vulnerable Students
New statewide coalitions in New York and New Jersey are urging lawmakers to expand student transportation options for vulnerable students amid ongoing driver shortages.
Read More →
America Has a School Bus Passing Problem — and Distraction Is Making It Worse
Illegal school bus passing remains a major safety threat as distracted driving rises. This op-ed explores why awareness, enforcement, and stop-arm cameras matter more than ever.
Read More →
School Bus Laws to Watch: New York Delays EV Mandate
Plus, federal lawmakers seek new funding for school bus safety as states weigh stop-arm enforcement, disability protections, and education spending.
Read More →
The Essential Handbook for Safe Alternative Student Transportation
Your district's "exception riders" — students with IEPs, those experiencing homelessness, foster care youth — deserve more than a middleman solution. This handbook breaks down exactly what to look for in a supplemental transportation partner: from driver vetting and regulatory compliance to proactive safety technology. Because getting a ride isn't the same as getting a safe one.
Read More →
Operation STEER Brings Emergency Response Training to North Texas
Prosper ISD hosted the third annual training for transportation professionals across 67 districts to learn how to respond to emergencies, such as rollovers and evacuations, and proper use of safety equipment.
Read More →
Florida District Relaunches BusPatrol School Bus Camera Program With New Safeguards
After being suspended over due process concerns, Miami-Dade schools and law enforcement are restarting the AI-powered stop-arm camera program with new oversight.
Read More →
School Bus Laws To Watch: Seat Belt Bills, Funding Fights & EV Changes
From national bills on seat belts and driver oversight to driver awareness campaigns referencing “Finn’s Rule” and ongoing transportation funding debates in Alaska, here’s the latest in school bus legislation across the U.S.
Read More →
9-Year-Old Boy Killed by School Bus at Busy Brooklyn Intersection
A Williamsburg community is mourning after a child was fatally struck by a private yeshiva bus, prompting calls for urgent safety improvements at the high-traffic crossing.
Read More →
