Former Berryville student flees from police in stolen bus

A Berryville school bus was stolen by a former student on Wednesday, Nov. 19, leading police on a chase throughout the city.

According to Berryville police logs, officers were dispatched to the area of Springfield Street in reference to a stolen school bus.

The juvenile led police on a chase before crashing the bus near the west campus, according to Berryville superintendent Owen Powell.

“A bus was stolen from our bus shop Wednesday night,” Powell wrote in a message to the Carroll County News. “Led police on a chase around town.

“Ended up crashing the bus close to the school by the west campus. The juvenile that stole it was a former student.”

Berryville police chief Robert Bartos said the initial call to dispatch was made about 9:40 p.m.

“I think maybe it was around Saunders Heights,” Bartos said. “Our officers went out there to look for it and they saw the bus. It ended up I think running over a stop sign or something. They went and tried to make a traffic stop on it to see what was going on and they took off.”

Bartos said officers pursued the bus through town.

“The bus was driving real erratically,” the chief said. “Thank goodness it was the time of night where there really weren’t a lot of cars on the road.”

The juvenile fled on foot, Bartos said, and was taken into custody at about 10 p.m. at the Casey’s convenience store near the west campus.

Bartos said the juvenile will be charged with theft of property, breaking or entering, aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime and fleeing.

Powell said the keys to the bus in the bus shop were “stashed in the bus,” which suffered significant damage.

“Extensive damage,” Powell said, adding the district won’t know about repairs or replacement of the bus until “insurance does their inspection.”