A school bus was involved in a two vehicle crash in Greene County Thursday afternoon.

According to court documents, the Jefferson Police and Fire Departments, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and Greene County Ambulance responded at 4:41pm to the intersection of East Lincoln Way and Locust Street. A Greene County School District bus that was driven by Mavis Sawhill of Jefferson, was heading east on East Lincoln Way and was hit by a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was heading south on Locust Street. Court documents show both drivers were evaluated at the scene and the driver of the Jeep, 46-year-old Sarah Schwery of Jefferson, was taken to Greene County Medical Center for possible injuries. There were no students on the bus at the time of the crash.  

Court documents show that during the investigation, an officer smelled the odor of alcohol from Schwery’s breath at the medical center and she refused to take a preliminary breath test and an implied consent urine test. The police department conducted a probable cause search of the Jeep in the impound lot, where a clear plastic bottle was found with suspected alcohol in it. It was determined that Schwery’s vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed as well.  

Schwery was then arrested and charged with a serious misdemeanor for her first offense for an OWI, and two simple misdemeanors for open container of alcohol and failure to obey a stop sign. She was booked into the Greene County Jail. 

Greene County School District Superintendent Brett Abbotts tells Raccoon Valley Radio the damaged bus can be repaired and the district will use another bus in the interim. He adds the school district fully cooperated with the investigation and he appreciates the work that all law enforcement and first responders did.

Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.