IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — A bus driver involved in a March crash on I-96 near Portland Township carrying Grand Rapids Civic Theatre students and staff has had her charges amended, as her court case is ongoing.
45-year-old Angela Fitzgerald was arraigned on new and amended charges at her last hearing, with the two additional counts correlating with recently received medical information.
- 3 counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury,
- 3 counts of operating while intoxicated with occupants less than 16 years old
- 1 charge of operating while intoxicated
- 3 counts of moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function
The new charges raised against Fitzgerald include an additional count of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury and a count of moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function, adding two more since she was arraigned on eight charges on August 6.
The crash happened on March 29, when Michigan State Police say the bus veered off the highway and hit a guardrail. The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre hired a bus company to transport a group of students and staff to a field trip in Ohio. Fitzgerald was arrested, and four students were hurt and transported to the hospital.
An offer made by Ionia County prosecutors to Fitzgerald would see her plea to the first six counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury and operating while intoxicated with occupants less than 16 years old, to dismiss the other four counts.
The next Probably Cause Conference for Fitzgerald is scheduled for October 8 at 1:00 PM.
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