Utica man arrested for a DWI in New York Mills

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DWI: A Costly Decision

Andrew Donovan

Story Created: May 2, 2008 at 11:45 PM EDT

Story Updated: May 2, 2008 at 11:45 PM EDT

A Headstart bus driver is charged with DWI Friday night after New York Mills police pulled him over in the village. Police say 57-year old Louis Zammiello of Utica was consuming straight vodka from a spring water bottle.

New York Mills police say he had a blood alcohol content of .23%, more than twice the legal limit. Three children were on the bus.

Zammiello was arraigned and committed to the Oneida County Jail in lieu of $5000 cash or $10,000 bail.

Monday, May 5 at 10:17 PM Anonymous wrote ...

sad truth wrote.'How does our society produce such a person who felt he needed to drink to keep his job?'Please give me a break! How much was the driver being paid? Probably just a little over min wage. Why do we trust our children to min wage workers that are not properly screened? Screening costs money and apparently the cost outweigh the benefits *sarcasm here*

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Monday, May 5 at 9:54 PM PARENT wrote ...

iM SO GLAD MY KIDS HAVE REALLY GOOD BUS DRIVER THANK GOD.But I know they only do finger prints they say they dont have the money to do other test .They need to do it for are kids before someone gets hurt.

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Monday, May 5 at 3:52 PM concerned mother wrote ...

how did the police know to pull over the bus, did the bus monitor call it in. I've heard a few stories on this case. I heard he also tried kidnapping the bus aide for like 10 minutes, shouldn't he be charged with kidnapping also? I also heard this man did not have a liscence to drive the bus?! I think they need to investigate a little further. Who hired this guy? Didn't he have to show proof and don't they do checks on the people they hire? I'm glad to know children made it home safe.

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Monday, May 5 at 11:13 AM Barb wrote ...

This absolutely blows my mind.I'm appalled that someone would have so little thought of the kids on the bus that they'd do this.You're right, 60-70 screaming kids is a lot, but does that legitimize that this guy was driving drunk with someone's children on the bus???Yes, DOT does randomly do drug/alcohol testing but it obviously didn't catch this guy.Sounds like the current process isn't working so well.I have faith in the bus drivers my kids have, but I guess you can never really know for sure.

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Monday, May 5 at 8:04 AM Gina wrote ...

Way to go bus moniter! Great job. GIVE THE BUS MONITER A RAISE!!!! Crazy! As far as putting him away for 5 years...that is insane. Obviously he has a drinking problem if he can somewhat function with that much alcohol in this body. It is a diease...like cancer....eats away at you. 5 years behind bars is NOT GONNA TO HELP HIM. The problems will still exist in him to continue after his release. Get him into a program. Must be one of those compassionate conservatives who said 5 years!

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Sunday, May 4 at 9:52 PM former school bus driver wrote ...

don't let what one driver did give a bad name to the rest of those who do there job right. he will get what is coming to him. as for those who bad mouth all drivers why don't you try getting behind the wheel of a bus with 60-70 screaming kids and the fighting and see how bad it can get. these kids are no angles in this city. it is disgusting how some of them act with no respect for authority at all.

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Sunday, May 4 at 9:46 PM ann wrote ...

what this driver did should not fall on other bus drivers. that was head start, i know the regular bus driver do go through drug and alcohol testing and are pulled random by the state. not all drivers are like that so don't be so judgemental.

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Sunday, May 4 at 7:32 PM wake up wrote ...

background checks only look into one's past. drug screening is done prior to someone being employed. Neither prevent good people from going bad once they were on the job. Do you suppose they are given urine tests everytime they set out on their runs?

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Sunday, May 4 at 4:10 PM Mike wrote ...

This is just one bus driver so don't blame the rest. My father use to drive school bus and I don't know how he got through it daily without having a drink! The kids nowadays are monsters and the parents always blame the bus driver.

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Sunday, May 4 at 11:40 AM a local school bus driver wrote ...

My hat goes off to the bus monitor who made the call to the police. This incident gives all bus drivers a black eye. Most drivers are caring and have the safety of the children as their most priority. The law for school bus drivers and commercial drivers is a BAC of .04 not .08 as it is for the general public. I know that every school bus driver must have a back ground check by law and a drug test and random drug testing though out their career.Please don't let one bad apple,make us all look bad

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Sunday, May 4 at 10:38 AM a Mom wrote ...

thank God for the bus aide who turned this jerk in and for realizing he was drinking vodka, not water, from his water bottle.

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Saturday, May 3 at 8:29 PM Hector Rios of Utica NY wrote ...

I know one thing is for sure. The kids are safe and sound thanks to the men and women of the New York Mills Police Dept. however what made them pull him over in the 1st place? But other than that he knew what he was doing when he got on that bus because he must've been sober when he poured the vodka into the water bottle. So it's not like he didnt know he was messing. He knew exactly what he was doing and he should face some heavy time for endangering the welfare of the 3 kids. God will get him.

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Saturday, May 3 at 8:23 PM naf wrote ...

child abuse, endangering the welfare of MANY children at least 3 counts and driving a public transportation vehicle drunk. 5 years sounds about right. Oh no, wait, the liberal judges will give him probation, then he kills someone and then and only then does he go to jail.

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Saturday, May 3 at 7:45 PM sad truth wrote ...

This man's alchoholism is so severe I am sure he needed to be drinking to avoid going into DT's and really endanger the safety of his passengers. It is deplorable what the has done of course. Ask within though: How does our society produce such a person who felt he needed to drink to keep his job?

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Saturday, May 3 at 5:35 PM a mom wrote ...

Now I know why I transport my children to school. Where are the drug screenings that the bus company advertises?

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Saturday, May 3 at 11:17 AM B wrote ...

It is very scary to see how the disease can just take over which left this guy with no common sense. Unbelievable

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Saturday, May 3 at 11:10 AM parent wrote ...

I am a parent of a student at headstart. why was i not informed of this!

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Saturday, May 3 at 10:43 AM Maxwell wrote ...

We live in increasingly selfish times. Many people feel that they are going to do what they want to do when they want to do it. If their choices impact overs, so be it. A sad state of affairs. Selfish and shameless. A dangerous combination.

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Saturday, May 3 at 10:01 AM utica resident wrote ...

I am curious...which agencies in this area conduct background checks? Doing such weeds out potential harm.

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Saturday, May 3 at 9:27 AM Kimberli wrote ...

This totally digusts me..I thank God everyday i'm fortunate to drive and pick up my kids from school..But these poor parents that cant and have to go through this it totally disgusts me...What is this world coming to.I pray for thes kids everyday..

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Saturday, May 3 at 8:15 AM A LOVING MOTHER wrote ...

I know it seems that everyone should be blamed or that you want to blame everyone in charge but just think unless you give every driver and breathalizer(which cost alot of money at least the kids have transportation)there really is now way to tell if someone is intoxicated or not I think the person to blame is the one who commitied the act unfortunally things like this happen everyday dont blame the people who dont commit the act

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Saturday, May 3 at 7:55 AM unreal wrote ...

this guy has been doing this for a long time.he deserves what he gets and does not deserve a second chance.he needs to be prosecuted for endangering the welfare of these children as well as dwi.he obviously has been doing this for years.

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Saturday, May 3 at 6:55 AM Town parent wrote ...

School bus driver`s used to be every parents friend now this happens whats next?

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Saturday, May 3 at 3:52 AM mom wrote ...

Looks to me like background checks on these people are needed and also maybe spot checks for drugs and alcohol!

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Saturday, May 3 at 3:16 AM Dog wrote ...

The judge should sentence this person to jail. No plea bargain. Any crime involving children needs to be handled harshly. It would be a bigger crime if he gets no jail time. Wake up people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Saturday, May 3 at 12:37 AM trina wrote ...

are you KIDDING ME?? its no wonder being a parent these days means being terrified every second for your child's well being. stories of carelessness involving children such as this just make my blood boil. it sucks we live in a society where us moms wish we could keep our kids in the house forever!

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Saturday, May 3 at 12:26 AM headstart parent wrote ...

a child was left on the bus last week and i see the driver still works there and now this, what is going on with these people?

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