West Bend students speak out after bus driver charged with OWI

WEST BEND -- West Bend West High School students Jenna and Trisha Welker got on the bus Monday morning, March 26th with 25 other students for a ride they won't soon forget. The two were on the bus driven by 50-year-old Terrance Habram, who appeared in court Tuesday after being arrested on suspicion of operating while under the influence.

The girls called their mother after they noticed Habram driving erratically, and their mother called police. Habram was arrested at the entrance to West Bend East High School Monday morning.

In court Tuesday, Habram was charged with OWI and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

In court documents, Habram said he took too much of an anti-anxiety drug. Investigators say they also found him carrying a friend's pill bottle with prescription painkillers inside.

The girls' mother, Barbara Welker says she is outraged with how this incident unfolded. She immediately called law enforcement after getting the call from her daughters Monday morning. "It could have been very tragic. Hopefully he will sit for awhile," Welker said.

Johnson School Bus Company says they fired Habram after learning about the incident. The bus company issued this statement: "Although he had an OWI 16 years prior, his clean criminal and driving record since were deciding factors in his hiring. He tested negative in a pre-employment drug test before hiring, and in a random drug test last year."

Tuesday afternoon, a judge set a $5,000 cash bond, and said Habram cannot operate a motor vehicle, including commercial vehicles, and must maintain absolute sobriety.

Despite being a bus driver through Johnson Bus Company, Habram has two other OWI convictions. If convicted this time, he faces up to two years and 30 days in confinement.