Nicolas Rodriguez, the driver involved in a school bus crash on Interstate 10 near Tucson, has tested positive for marijuana, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). The incident, which occurred on April 1, resulted in three people suffering serious injuries, including one individual who required an amputation of their hand.
The crash happened when Rodriguez’s Volvo SUV collided with the driver’s side of the school bus, causing the bus to veer into a median barrier cable and roll onto its side. At the time of the accident, the bus was carrying students and chaperones from the Kingman Unified School District. The impact left several individuals hospitalized, prompting an immediate response from emergency services.
Rodriguez, 30, showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests and was arrested at the scene. Court documents reveal that he later admitted to smoking marijuana two days prior to the crash. He claimed he was driving to a job interview in Oro Valley when the incident occurred. Rodriguez is now facing three felony counts of aggravated assault and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
The crash resulted in the closure of I-10 for several hours as authorities worked to clear the scene and provide aid to the injured.
Information for this report was gathered from documents from Pima County Superior Court and a FOX 10 report from April 1, 2025.
