Sauk Centre Bus Driver Arrested For DWI

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 63-year-old man who is a school bus driver for the Sauk Centre School District was arrested Monday night for driving his route while impaired.

Thomas Richard Bromen was taken into custody Monday night in connection with the incident.

Sauk Centre police were contacted just before 5 p.m. Monday by Sauk Centre Public Schools at 903 State Road. School officials told police they had a bus driver that they believed had been operating one of their buses while impaired.

Officers met with the driver, who had finished his route after dropping off 40 to 50 students. Bromen showed signs of impairment, but wouldn't perform field sobriety tests. He did admit to being intoxicated while speaking with officers.

Police say through an investigation, it was determined Bromen drove his truck to the bus garage impaired, then got into a school bus and did his after-school route. During the route, the school received three separate calls in a short period of time about Bromen.

Bromen did submit a breath test at the Sauk Centre Police Department with a reported blood alcohol level that was over the legal limit. The limit is .08, and for commercial vehicles, it is .04.

Bromen was taken into custody for two counts of third-degree DWI for driving his personal vehicle to the school. He was also booked for two counts of second-degree DWI for driving a school bus impaired while full of children. Additionally, he was booked for several counts of child endangerment.

No children were hurt in the incident. Bormen is being held in the Stearns County Jail.