Bus driver's arrest sparks new legislation

The April 14 arrest of a limousine bus driver whose 16- and 17-year-old passengers — most of them students in the Sewanhaka Central High School District — were found by state police to be in “various stages of intoxication” has sparked new legislation in Albany designed to strengthen supervision of minors on “party buses.”

The bill, introduced by State Senate Co-Leader Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) on April 17, would require one adult chaperone for every 20 underage passengers aboard a chartered bus.

Police said there were no adult chaperones aboard the bus on April 14.

According to state troopers, Luis Guevara-Henriquz, 26, of Hempstead, had picked up the teenagers in Garden City and was driving them to Montauk. Troopers said they discovered more than 100 cans of beer and “several gallons of various opened and empty whiskey and rum bottles” inside the Coachman bus, which was carrying 42 youths. The arrest was made on Sunrise Highway, at a rest area in Southampton. Troopers arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call at 9:30 that night about a female screaming, and said they arrested Guevara-Henriquz “due to the intoxication of the youths, the amount of alcohol on board and the condition of the bus.”

“We cannot allow our roadways to become free-for-alls for underage drinking,” Klein said at an April 17 press conference in the Bronx. “We are incredibly lucky that none of the children on that bus were hurt. We cannot afford to take that chance again. By passing this bill, we will be putting chaperones on board who can make sure that our teens are having a good, safe time and that party bus drivers can concentrate on the road.”

A call to Coachman Luxury Transport, of Woodbury and Farmingdale, was not returned. The company’s owner, Matt Delaney, did, however, speak at Klein’s press conference.

“Coachman Luxury Transport is saddened by Monday’s incident,” Delaney said, “and as an industry leader, we want to be part of the solution. Safety is our number one concern, and Senator Klein’s newly introduced legislation will bring about much-needed change to ensure that party bus renters and our bus drivers stay safe.”

Sewanhaka’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, Dr. Cheryl Champ, said in a statement last week that the trip was private, and was not school-related in any way. “While we are obviously concerned and disappointed to learn of this incident,” she said, “it was a private event that was not organized or sanctioned by the school district, and did not take place on school grounds. As such, the district has no jurisdiction.”

Champ added that the district would consider expanding its character education program, which includes a comprehensive substance- and alcohol-abuse component, and would also cooperate with authorities in their investigation, which police said was continuing.

District residents — many of whom said they believe the teens’ parents should share the blame for the incident — have spoken out. “Where were the parents when all these kids put ‘hundreds of beers and several gallons of hard liquor’ onto the bus?” asked Mary Elizabeth Petrigliano. “Parents are responsible for their children. The parents should be ashamed that their kids put themselves in this position.”

“The driver is not a babysitter,” said Chris Howard. “His job is to drive the bus. One guy cannot watch over 40 kids.”

Guevara-Henriquz was charged with endangering the welfare of children. He was scheduled to appear in Southampton Town Court.

Police said that additional charges are pending, and that the teenagers were turned over to their relatives.