Stalbaum enters not guilty plea, accused of driving school bus while under influence of drugs

RACINE COUNTY -- 38-year-old Jason Stalbaum of Waterford pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, October 14th to four felony criminal charges in addition to four citations.

Stalbaum is accused of driving a school bus while under the influence of drugs. Students were aboard the bus at the time of this incident, which occurred on Tuesday, October 6th.

On October 6th, Racine County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Buena Park Road near Barnes Drive for a report of an accident.

A complainant indicated a school bus operator, later identified as Stalbaum, had driven a school bus with students on board through a cornfield -- before returning to the roadway and continuing to drive.

According to the criminal complaint, a deputy observed tire marks leading from Buena Park Road into gravel, then into a ditch, and finally, into the cornfield. Roughly three rows of corn were destroyed -- for approximately 100 feet. The tire tracks showed the vehicle returned from the cornfield to the ditch, back onto the gravel, and finally back onto Buena Park Road.

No one was hurt.