A school bus driver for the Northampton Area School District is facing charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance and multiple counts of child endangerment, following an incident that occurred on Friday.

According to state police at Bethlehem, Lori Anne Mankos, 44, of Walnutport, was operating the bus at 3:02 p.m. with 26 students on board when it is alleged she had been driving erratically. She parked the bus at a Sunoco station, located at 109 W. Main St., Bath, handed the keys to a station employee, and walked away from the scene. The bus and the 26 students were left unattended until the school district officials, Moore Township police and state police could arrive on scene.

Northampton eighth--grader Stephanie Shiller told The (Allentown) Morning Call that Mankos had been transporting her and other students for two weeks. On Friday afternoon, students noticed she wasn’t following her route, missing stops and driving on the wrong side of the road, she said.

“We were freaking out,” Shiller said. “We didn’t know if she was drunk or what.”

A spokesman for the bus contractor, Cincinnati, Ohio-based First Student, told the paper that the company is cooperating with investigators. “This is not what we expect of any of our drivers,” he said.

Northampton School District Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik said officials are “extremely upset” but “very thankful” no one was hurt. He said the district has been contracting with the bus company for more than 20 years, and nothing like that has happened before.

Troopers said Mankos was located at her home and taken into custody. She has been charged with 26 counts of endangering the welfare of children, and one count each of DUI, careless driving and reckless driving.

Records indicate she is currently an inmate in the Northampton County prison in Easton.

The Associated Press contributed to this report