HOUSTON – The bus driver who claimed a bad doughnut was to blame for her erratic driving has pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 years of age.
What happened:
Linda Sue Godejohn, 55, was arrested and charged with DWI in March after a driver saw her driving erratically on the road and before taking a sharp turn that nearly caused the bus to roll over, and alerted authorities.
When authorities arrived, they gave Godejohn a field sobriety test, which she failed.
"We responded, I think we were there in just a few minutes. We were able to see the bus pulled into a private parking lot, letting kids off the bus," Constable Mark Herman said. "We ended up getting the bus driver out of the bus, giving her a field sobriety test, which she flunked miserably, and she was immediately placed into custody."
The day after her arrest, Godejohn posted a $100 bond and was released from the Harris County Jail.
As she was leaving, Godejohn said, "I don't drink. I have not drank in years." Instead she blamed the driving on a doughnut she had eaten earlier that upset her stomach.
"My stomach was just hurting so bad that a wheel fell off the thing, the curb," Godejohn said. "That's all it was, and going 45 mph, it's going to whip back."
She claimed she failed the sobriety test "because it's hard" and she "couldn't even do it right now."
A toxicology report release in early August showed that Godejohn tested positive for 7-aminoclonazepam, clonazepam, meprobamate and carisoprodol.
Clonazepam and meprobamate are prescription drugs used to treat anxiety, while carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant.
According to the report, no evidence of alcohol was found in Godejohn's blood.
What's next:
Godejohn entered a guilty plea Monday.
She was sentenced to two years in jail, both with years suspended, which means her sentence has been delayed in order for her to attend a rehabilitation facility or perform a period of probation.
Godejohn was also given two years probation and a $500 fine.