Chelmsford School Bus Driver Allegedly Admits to Smoking Pot Before Field Trip

LOWELL - A Chelmsford school bus driver allegedly admitted to Chelmsford police he smoked marijuana before driving a bus to pick up students for a field trip to see the movie "Beauty and the Beast'' on Tuesday, prosecutors say.

In Lowell District Court on Tuesday, Ali Mahfuz, 63, of 3 Bailey St., Nashua, N.H. was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty to charges of operating under the influence of drugs (marijuana) , operating negligently as to endanger, and reckless endangerment.

Judge Daniel Crane released Mahfuz, who has no prior record, on the conditions that he abstain from alcohol, drugs and medical marijuana. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference on April 26.

Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney said that at around 9 a.m. the school resource officer at Chelmsford High School was notified by school administrators that several high school students reported to a teacher there was a "strange odor'' in the bus they were taking on a field trip.

The teacher notified the principal who boarded the bus with other administrators and could "clearly smell the odor of marijuana,'' Spinney said.

The 50 students on board the idling bus were removed and as a precaution the school was placed on "lock down,'' according to police.

Police officers spoke to Mahfuz who allegedly showed signs of impairment. His eyes were red and glossy and his speech was slow and deliberate, according to prosecutor Ann Marie Gochis. There was a "strong odor'' of marijuana coming from Mahfuz.

Mahfuz agreed to remove the bus keys from the ignition and hand them to the officer. He was cooperative and even offered to take a urine test to "clear his name,'' according to court documents. He told the officer he could not smell any marijuana, police said.

Mahfuz agreed to be searched by police who found a "vape'' pipe in his front pocket. Mahfuz allegedly volunteered that he had a "one hitter'' marijuana pipe in his pocket along with a small container that allegedly contained marijuana, according to court documents.

When questioned about the smell of marijuana, Mahfuz allegedly admitted he had smoked that morning, Gochis said. He told police he drove students to Greater Lowell Technical High School in Tyngsborough that morning then had an 90 minutes of "down time'' before the field trip so he parked the bus in the school parking lot and smoked marijuana from his "one hitter'' followed by a nap, according to court documents.

Mahfuz allegedly told police he opened a window and was surprised the bus still smelled like pot. He drove to Chelmsford High School to pick up the students for the field trip.

Police learned that Mahfuz did not drive any morning bus routes for the Chelmsford schools that morning, but he had just finished a route for the Greater Lowell Technical High School in Tyngsborough before arriving at Chelmsford High School for the field trip. Chelmsford police contacted Tyngsborough police about the incident.

Mahfuz did submit to field sobriety tests, however, the results were not part of the public court file.

The bus is equiped with video surveillance which is activated while the bus is running. The bus company, North Reading Transportation Inc., is cooperating with the school department and police in the investigation. A company supervisor was sent to the scene with a new bus and replacement driver drove the students to their field trip.

Spinney praised the students for speaking up.

"I cannot overstate the role played by the students today in ensuring their safety on the roads,'' Spinney said. "They knew something was not right and they spoke up right away, alerting school administrators. I commend these students for their role in stopping a dangerous situation from unfolding."

Photo of Ali Mahfuz by Lisa Redmond/Patch.com.