A judge in Saskatoon has sentenced a bus driver, Richard Arthur Potratz, to jail for endangering 52 children by driving a charter bus while under the influence of alcohol and painkillers. The judge deemed the risk posed by Potratz’s actions as “outrageous” and opted for a stricter punishment than the community-based sentence proposed by the Crown.
Potratz, 71 years old, was driving a bus from Prince Albert Northern Bus Lines on March 14, 2025, with school kids and teachers returning from a ski trip. His erratic driving behavior, including drifting across lanes and driving on the shoulder, prompted one of the teachers to intervene and stop the bus. When police arrived, Potratz was found passed out in the back seat of another vehicle driven by a chaperone.
Tests revealed that Potratz had a blood-alcohol content exceeding twice the legal limit and was also taking fentanyl and hydromorphone for severe back pain. Judge Mitchell criticized Potratz’s decision to drive under such circumstances as “breathtaking in its recklessness.”
Potratz, who had worked for the bus company for over a decade, was terminated following the incident. During his sentencing hearing, he expressed remorse and issued an apology to the school principal. Despite the Crown suggesting a community sentence order due to his age and health issues, Judge Mitchell imposed a six-month jail term, followed by one year of probation with community service requirements and a two-year driving ban.