A shuttle bus driver working for University of Miami was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence while transporting students.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon just off campus along U.S. 1, near Coral Gables, after the driver allegedly began swerving and hit a palm tree. More than a dozen students were on board at the time.
Students said they became alarmed when the driver appeared impaired. A video recorded by a passenger shows students asking the driver to pull over while others called police.
“Did you have anything to drink? You smell like a lot of alcohol,” one student is heard asking in the recording.
Maya Dejean, a freshman studying marine biology, said the driver seemed disoriented and unaware of what was happening.
“He didn’t really realize he was crashing into things,” she said, adding that students noticed slurred speech and the smell of alcohol.
Police identified the driver as 45-year-old Timothy Kowalewski. He faces charges of driving under the influence, property damage, and refusal to submit to testing.
According to police, he declined both a field sobriety test and a breath test at the station following his arrest.
The Coral Gables Police Department is investigating the incident.
In a statement, the university said the safety of students, staff, and the wider campus community remains its top priority.
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