LANCASTER, Pa. — A Dauphin County woman who drove a van of special-needs students while under the influence of multiple prescription drugs was sentenced to jail and probation last week following a guilty plea.
Heather Elaine Shumberger, 41, of Lower Paxton Township, was sentenced to four months and three days to just under two years in county jail, followed by five years of probation. She pleaded guilty on Jan. 21 to multiple charges, including recklessly endangering another person, endangering the welfare of children, DUI, and a traffic offense.
The October 2023 incident occurred while Shumberger was transporting four students, ages 9 to 19, from Cumberland and Dauphin counties to a school in Mount Joy Borough. She was stopped by police on Route 283 in East Hempfield Township after several motorists reported her erratic driving. Bodycam and van surveillance footage showed her struggling to stay awake and repeatedly veering across traffic lanes.
Shumberger had consumed a combination of prescription medications including Xanax, Klonopin, Pristiq, Soma, Zyprexa, Effexor, and Buprenorphine, which prosecutors said exceeded prescribed dosages. A forensic blood draw later confirmed the levels.
During sentencing, Judge Jeffrey Conrad called her actions a “grotesque violation of trust.” In court statements, parents of the students said the children suffered ongoing trauma. One student, now 19, reportedly fears leaving the house and believed he would die that day.
In addition to jail time, Shumberger was fined $2,000, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and had her license suspended.
