Sylvia Dollard was charged with DWI and 10 counts of child abuse after “driving erratically” in north Charlotte last week, police say.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte school bus driver accused of driving while impaired with more than 20 kids on board is expected to face a judge on Tuesday.
In addition to the DWI charge, 70-year-old Sylvia Dollard is facing 10 counts of child abuse. She was arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police last Thursday after parents and kids say she started driving erratically. Dollard was suspended with pay by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools pending the outcome of the investigation. She was first hired by the district in 2014.
Multiple witnesses told WCNC Charlotte that a group of parents stopped Dollard after she missed several bus stops in the neighborhood.
“She kept hitting the brakes, running past stop signs, circled several times before,” parent Riley Lea said.
Cellphone video showed an SUV stopped in front of the bus and children on the street.
“Parents were real pissed,” a witness named Quan said. “Cussing, beating on the window, they bused the door window on the side trying to get on.”
Lea said she first learned about the situation when her 6- and 7-year-olds got home.
“My kids came screaming at the top of their lungs, crying, one was bleeding from the nose and the mouth,” she said.
Lea explained she went into a rage and confronted Dollard when she saw the bus parked in the road. She later took her kids to the hospital and they were sent back to school on Friday after being checked by doctors.
Superintendent Crystal Hill said Oakdale Elementary’s principal was called to the site and parents were contacted immediately. Students were either taken home by their parents or taken by another bus.
Note: WCNC instituted a policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.
WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use a mugshot based on the severity of the crime(s) committed and/or the level of public interest in the crime and ensuing criminal proceedings.
WCNC Charlotte is choosing to show the mugshot of the suspect in this case due to her job.