Heather Elaine Shumberger, 41, of Lower Paxton Township, admitted to multiple charges, including DUI, recklessly endangering another person, and endangering the welfare of children, during a court hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 21, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 30, 2023, when East Hempfield Township police received multiple calls about a school van driving erratically on Route 283 eastbound near the State Road exit. Officers stopped Shumberger, who was found behind the wheel of the van, which contained four students aged 9 to 19.
Police said Shumberger appeared impaired, struggled to stay awake during the interaction, and failed field sobriety tests. A blood test later revealed several prescription drugs in her system, including Xanax, Klonopin, and Buprenorphine.
Dash camera footage from the van and a video taken by one of the students showed Shumberger swerving while driving, police said.
Another driver was called to complete the students' journey to a school in Mount Joy Borough, authorities added.
Shumberger was originally arrested and arraigned with bail set at $50,000 unsecured. She will be sentenced following a pre-sentence investigation, Judge Jeffrey Conrad said.
Assistant District Attorney Kyle Linardo prosecuted the case, while East Hempfield Township Officer Christian Torres-Garcia led the investigation.
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