A bus driver from the USA has been charged with driving under the influence after he injured nine students as he strayed off the road during a field trip.

Тroy Reynolds, 48, from the US state of Maryland, was transporting 44 children and four adults when he veered off the road into a ditch.

He was reportedly driving back to Murch Elementary School in Washington, DC from a trip to Cox Farms in the area of Centreville, Virginia.

Fairfax County Police Department reported that on the way back, Reynolds struck a rock which caused the rear tire to flatten and the rim to bend.

But he reportedly continued to drive until the teachers on the bus insisted that he follows a second bus, which was returning to the school from the same field trip.

The two buses stopped in a parking lot in the 15000 block of Conference Center Drive in Chantilly, in western Fairfax County.

Officers from Sully District Station and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue rushed to the scene and treated nine children for non-life-threatening injuries.

Fairfax County Police Department said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “Reynolds failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the Adult Detention Center in Fairfax County.

“He was found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .20. The legal limit for BAC in Virginia is .08.”

He was arrested and received second-degree charges for driving while intoxicated (DWI) within five to ten years with a child.

In addition, he was also charged with commercial DWI with child endangerment and reckless care for a child on nine counts.

Officers discovered that the state had previously revoked and suspended the 48-year-old man’s license due to prior DWI charges.

He was detained with no bond after authorities discovered that he also possessed a fake medical card on Thursday, 27th October.

FCPD’s Motor Carrier Safety (MCS) crews who also responded to the scene found out that none of the drivers had a proper license to operate a school bus.

They documented a total of 18 safety violations on the two buses, while a third bus that came to replace the damaged bus was also taken out of service due to safety reasons.

Meanwhile, the children and their chaperones were taken to the Criminal Justice Academy in Chantilly, after which a Fairfax County Public School bus later took them back to their school.

DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee revealed in a statement on Twitter: “We thank the Murch Elementary teachers and staff who ensured the students’ safety on their field trip today.

“All children were evaluated by emergency medical services following the incident and there are no injuries reported.”

Ferebee continued: “We appreciate the support of Fairfax County law enforcement, who welcomed students at a nearby training facility as they awaited transportation back to the school.

“DCPS takes this incident very seriously, and our teams will do a thorough review of our transportation vendors to ensure that student safety is always prioritized.

“We are incredibly thankful that no one sustained injuries during this frightening incident.”