Full Notification

On April 7, 2015 at approximately 8:51 am, Burlington Police responded to the Taft School at 14 South Williams Street for a report that a parent with one of their children who had arrived driving a vehicle was reported to be visibly intoxicated. The caller advised that the driver was a parent of a student at the school and was operating a taxicab. The vehicle left the area prior to arrival of officers.

The vehicle was located a short time later with the help of the taxi dispatch service in the area of Lime Kiln Road in South Burlington. The operator was identified as Christopher Williams, 54, of Burlington. Investigation revealed that Williams was operating a taxi that was reported to be under contract, with the Milton School District, to transport school children and he reported that school children had been transported that morning. Williams was processed on suspicion of driving under the influence related to a section of the law that prohibits school vehicles from being operated at a blood alcohol content of more than .02 percent.

After consultation with the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office Williams was issued a citation for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Cruelty to Children. Williams was released on the citation to appear in Chittenden Superior Court, Criminal Division on April 23, 2015.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Burlington Police Department.

Details on the statute related to this case are below for reference:

Title 23 : Motor Vehicles
• § 1201. Operating vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor or other substance; criminal refusal; enhanced penalty for BAC of 0.16 or more
(a) A person shall not operate, attempt to operate, or be in actual physical control of any vehicle on a highway:
(1) when the person's alcohol concentration is 0.08 or more, or 0.02 or more if the person is operating a school bus as defined in subdivision 4(34) of this title;
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(34)(A) "School bus" means any motor vehicle used to transport children to or from school or in connection with school activities, except:
(iv) Motor vehicles with a manufacturer's rated seating capacity of fewer than 11 persons, including the operator, which are owned, leased, or hired by a school, or for which services are reimbursed by a school. However, if used to transport students, these shall be considered a Type II school bus for purposes of licensure, shall display an identification sign as prescribed in subdivision 1283(a)(1) of this title, and shall be equipped with a simple system of at least two red alternating warning lights; unless the driver is a school employee or a volunteer subject to a criminal background check and is transporting no more than five persons excluding the operator; provided that the vehicle has safety belts for all persons being transported.