School Bus Driver, 60, Accused of Masturbating Behind Wheel

A 60-year-old upstate school bus driver was arrested for allegedly masturbating behind the wheel, authorities say.

Police say a student on the bus in Suffern Wednesday morning allegedly saw the driver expose and touch himself. The alleged behavior "lasted a short period of time," according to police.

The student was dropped off at a nearby parochial school and told his parents and school officials.

The driver, Robert Bertart, of Orangetown, was subsequently arrested and charged with public lewdness and endangering the welfare of a child.

Vel Coach Company of Nanuet, which operates the bus Bertart was driving, said Bertart no longer works there. The company said it is cooperating with authorities.

"To help safeguard against this type of incident, we do conduct background checks that include fingerprinting and FBI criminal history of all drivers during the hiring process," the company said in a statement. "We have zero tolerance for these incidents."

Bertart had been with the company for about six years and drove buses for various schools. 

Michael George contributed to this report. 

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