DDOT bus driver crashes into tree, fails breath alcohol test, officials say
DETROIT, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) equipment operator failed his alcohol breath test after crashing into a tree while on duty, the city of Detroit said in a press release.
Around 8:20 a.m. on Dec. 1, the operator hit the accelerator while executing a Michigan left turn on Route 17 along Eight Mile Road, officials said.
The vehicle drove over the curb and hit a tree along the edge of the road, the press release states.
The passengers on the bus were not seriously injured, officials said.
The driver was removed from service and taken to the clinic for a drug and alcohol test, where he failed the breath alcohol test, according to the city.
The driver was placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending an investigation, according to city officials.
To protect the safety of public transportation customers, federal protocols for transit equipment operators set a lower breath alcohol limit than the State of Michigan limit for motor vehicle operators in general, city officials said.
"As I have said since my first day on the job, safer service and more reliable service are DDOT's top two priorities," Interim Executive Director Michael Staley said. "Violations of DDOT's drug and alcohol policy will be treated with the utmost urgency and seriousness, and the Department will take appropriate action based on the results of the investigation in this case. DDOT bus drivers provide a vital public service to the community, and we will continue our full-court-press to improve safety and service."
