Detroit Bus Driver to Be Charged After Alleged On-Duty Doze Leads to Crash
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iStock/Thinkstock(DETROIT) — After a four-month investigation, authorities said on Wednesday that the driver of a city bus who police said fell asleep at the wheel and then slammed into eight vehicles in suburban Detroit will be charged.
The 65-year-old driver, whose name has not been released, faces a charge of a 93-day misdemeanor, a moving violation causing serious impairment of bodily function. The driver was expected to turn himself in and be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.
Police said in October the SMART bus crashed into a Ford Explorer in West Bloomfield Township before plowing into seven other vehicles. Cameras on the bus caught the heart-pounding moment.
Police said there was one passenger on the bus at the time. That passenger was not injured. The driver said he’d fallen asleep, according to police, and had tried to brake and then swerved before the accident. Authorities called it the longest crash of West Bloomfield history.
“This accident, the crash scene was actually a half-a-mile long,” West Bloomfield police Det. Lt. Curt Lawson told ABC News affiliate WXYZ-TV in Detroit.
“It was one of the biggest accidents that we have ever investigated in West Bloomfield history. It took four months to complete this investigation. …We’ve very fortunate no one was killed during this incident,” he said.
A man and a woman, both age 79, who were riding in the Ford Explorer, were seriously injured in the accident. Several passengers in the other vehicles suffered minor injuries.
Authorities examined camera footage and the bus’ recording device, as well as the victims’ hospital records. The bus’ brakes and mechanics were also investigated and the accident was reconstructed.
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