BIXBY — On Wednesday morning, officials with the DA's Office told 2 Works for You that a bench warrant had been issued for Donny Cheatham, the former Bixby bus driver accused of driving drunk with students on board, because he failed to appear in court.
Now, officials with the DA's Office says that no bench warrant was issued and a new court date has been assigned.
Officials say the new court date is now March 20.
Jail records show 64-year-old Donny Cheatham was scheduled to be arraigned in court Wednesday morning.
Last week, after receiving reports on the bus route running late, the district transportation director met with Cheatham when he returned to the lot, officials said. The director detected the smell of alcohol on Cheatham, causing him to be "immediately escorted to a facility for drug and alcohol screening."
Police say Cheatham's blood alcohol level was .14 while the legal limit is .08 in Oklahoma.
Cheatham had driven both elementary and secondary students on the route that morning which began at 7:15 a.m. and ended at 8:45 a.m., officials said. All of the students arrived safely to their school sites, and the families of students were notified about the situation.
Cheatham has been booked into the Tulsa County Jail, according to Bixby police. He will be charged with public intoxication and child endangerment, says police.
Cheatham was released on bond early this week from the Tulsa County Jail.
Police say he could be facing 72 counts of child endangerment - one for every student on the bus he was driving.
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