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Drug-Inhaling Driver Busted For Stafford County School Bus Crash, Sheriff Says

The reckless driver who caused a violent school bus crash in Stafford County last month is in custody after having two more run-ins with the law, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.

The bus landed on its side in Stafford

The bus landed on its side in Stafford

Photo Credit: Stafford County Sheriff
The bus landed on its side in Stafford.

The bus landed on its side in Stafford.

Photo Credit: Stafford County Sheriff
The bus landed on its side in Stafford.

The bus landed on its side in Stafford.

Photo Credit: Stafford County Sheriff
The bus landed on its side in Stafford.

The bus landed on its side in Stafford.

Photo Credit: Stafford County Sheriff
Michael Kingham

Michael Kingham

Photo Credit: Stafford County Sheriff

Members of the sheriff's office were unable to serve an arrest warrant to Stafford resident Michael Kingham, 30, for his role in the chain-reaction crash last month before they were called to investigate a new incident he was involved in on Wednesday, Jan. 4, officials said.

Kingham’s month to forget began shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, when he was driving a blue Volkswagen sedan in the 1300 block of Brooke Road and went into the oncoming lane of traffic in an attempt to pass the bus.

According to investigators, Kingham struck the side of the school bus and overturned, hitting a Dodge Durango in the opposite lane head-on.

The bus had just left Grafton Village Elementary School with a dozen students on board. 

Two of the children, as well as Kingham and the driver of the Dodge, were injured in the crash and transported to area hospitals for minor injuries.

After consulting with the Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney's Office, an arrest warrant for reckless driving and inhaling drugs was obtained by the sheriff's office.

However, before deputies could serve the warrant, they were called to a reported single-vehicle crash shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday night near the intersection of Cathedral Lane and Mine Road.

Kingham was the driver.

He was arrested on the outstanding warrants, and officials say that a deputy was able to secure additional evidence to obtain a new warrant for inhaling drugs.

Investigators made note that during the investigation into the school bus accident, Kingham was also found unconscious on Friday, Dec. 30 inside a parked vehicle at Walmart on Garrisonville Road.

Deputies used an ASP baton to break a window to gain access to the vehicle to check on him. He was subsequently arrested for public intoxication and inhaling drugs.

In that instance, he was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail until he sobered up the next moment and was released.

Following his latest arrest, Kingham is being held at the jail without bond.

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