By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


The driver of a bus that crashed last year in Livingston County that was sentenced to probation has been found in violation.

Brianne Nicole Pope of Taylor was sentenced this past January in 53rd District Court in Howell following her no-contest plea to three counts of Moving Violation Causing Serious Impairment of Body Function. Judge Daniel Bain had sentenced Pope to two years of probation, 20 days of community service, and a 10 days of suspended jail time. The charges stemmed from the crash of a charter bus returning from a Hartland school field trip on April 2019, when it overturned on the freeway off-ramp from eastbound I-96 onto M-59 in Howell Township. Pope was found to have had 2 nanograms of marijuana in her system at the time of the crash.

On June 10th of this year, Livingston County Court records indicate that Pope was arraigned for a probation violation. Records state that she failed to refrain from the use of drugs and failed to comply with testing as directed. On Monday she pled guilty to the violation and was committed to Livingston County Jail to serve a 30 day term.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit remains active against Pope by Holly Shuart of Highland, who was one of the chaperones on the trip. The lawsuit also names the bus company Pope worked for at the time, Ground Travel Specialist, as a defendant and seeks damages in excess of $25,000. Shuart claims Pope was negligent and careless when driving the bus. Some of the injuries sustained by passengers included a broken neck, broken ribs and a collapsed lung.