State police charge school van driver with DUI

From staff reports

State police have charged a 33-year-old Summerville woman with driving under the influence of a controlled substance and the suspect allegedly admitted she did so while driving a school van.

Laurie S. Watkins is charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, at 12:46 p.m. June 6 in Clarion Township.

According to court documents, the Clarion County Adult Probation Office requested state police come to the office after Watkins allegedly appeared for a routine appointment under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Watkins allegedly told state police Tpr. Marc Hunsberger she had used morphine the previous evening around 11 p.m.

Watkins said she had not used any marijuana for the past several days.

Watkins allegedly told police she is a school van driver and she had driven the van that morning around 7 a.m.

Watkins was transported to Clarion Hospital around 1:30 p.m. for a blood draw.

The blood sample tested positive for THC, the chemical in marijuana that produces the user’s “high.”

Court documents did not indicate for which school district Watkins allegedly drove the van or if any students were in the van while Watkins was driving.