Hartland school bus driver arrested; what district, police are saying
HARTLAND, Wis. - The Hartland-Lakeside School District superintendent and Hartland police chief on Tuesday provided new details after a bus driver was arrested the previous day.
Bus driver arrested
The backstory:
The Hartland Police Department said a student on the bus called 911 around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. The student said the bus driver was acting erratically and would not let the kids off the bus.
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The school bus later stopped, and parents began to arrive to pick up their kids – confronting the bus driver.
"The bus driver initially stopped on his own, and that's where the kids started departing the bus," Hartland Police Chief Torin Misko said Tuesday. He added that they believe it was the bus driver's first time driving the route.
The entire school bus evacuated, and the bus drove away. Police later stopped the bus and spoke to the driver. Upon further investigation, the 72-year-old Hartland man was arrested.

School bus driver arrested in Hartland (Courtesy: Angelique Tober)
"They were doing sobriety testing, from what I could tell," said Angelique Tober, who lives in the area. "They were there a good while – a good hour."
The bus driver was booked into the Waukesha County Jail for operating while intoxicated and second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
"It's just a really unfortunate situation," Tober said. "I would be very scared if I was sitting in that seat where I was a parent who had children on the bus."
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Dousman Transport Company was the bus' operator, serving the Hartland-Lakeside School District. The company released the following statement on Tuesday:
"On January 27, 2025, one of Dousman Transport Company’s (DTC) drivers was arrested on charges of operating a school bus while intoxicated and recklessly endangering safety. DTC has confirmed the following information. This bus was operating an afternoon take-home route for the Hartland-Lakeside School District. The driver of this route has been an employee of Dousman Transport Company for approximately five years, and was assigned to this route as a substitute driver for the afternoon. Dousman Transport Company has confirmed the driver was fully qualified to operate a school bus with passengers, including background investigations conducted in accordance with State statutes.
"This matter remains under investigation. A review of onboard camera footage and GPS data indicates the driver lost his direction on the route and missed multiple student stops. According to the Hartland Police Department, there was no indication that alcohol was involved in this incident. Dousman Transport Company has suspended the driver, pending results of the full investigation. Inquiries regarding this matter are referred to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s office."

Hartland Police Department
School district update
What they're saying:
The school bus was on a route near Merton and Marquette with 27 students on board at the time. It was the third and last of three districts with drop-offs on that route.
"I was scared, I was worried, I was concerned for the safety of our students," said Tina Vogelmann, Hartland-Lakeside School District superintendent.
The students were in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school district commended older students who kept the younger kids calm.
What's next:
The school district also said it is offering additional support for the students and families involved. District leaders plan to meet with the school bus company next week.
The bus driver is expected to be charged on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said the bus driver was arrested for allegedly driving drunk. It was updated to reflect clarification from the Hartland police chief that while the bus driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated, it is not known whether it was alcohol related.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Hartland Police Department and the Hartland-Lakeside School District.