Police: Massachusetts school bus driver drunk in crash

DUDLEY, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts school bus driver charged with being drunk when he crashed his bus carrying 11 high school and middle school students into a utility pole has pleaded not guilty.

Scott Poirier, of Dudley, was released on personal recognizance with GPS monitoring at his arraignment today. He refused to talk to reporters outside of court.

Authorities responded to the crash at around 3 p.m. Thursday in Dudley. First responders found the bus with wires from a utility pole spread across its roof.

Police say he struck the pole at low speed while backing up.

No injuries were reported but the crash caused power outages. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

A spokesman for the bus company says the 42-year-old Poirier has been suspended.