| Bus Driver Accused of DWI is Fired |
After being arrested on suspicion of driving drunk in his bus, Metro Transit said it fired their driver on "gross misconduct," an agency spokesman reported.
The driver faces two misdemeanor counts after his bus swerved all over the road, prompting witnesses to call the police. The driver had a blood-alcohol content of 0.24, six times the legal limit for commercial drivers, and tried to hide a can of beer, police reported. The driver, who was hired last year, didn't work after his arrest and was discharged for "gross misconduct" in three areas. The misconduct involved a violation of the Metropolitan Council's drug and alcohol policy, falsification of an employment application and falsification of statements to a manager's inquiry. It is believed that when interviewed by his manager, the driver made statements that management felt were not consistent with the facts.Although Metro Transit says the incident is a first in its history, the agency has created a task force to review its hiring and employment rules related to substance abuse and employee driving records. The driver had a history of traffic violations, and the agency is reviewing whether their three-year background check on applicants should have disqualified him. No specifics were available on the accusation of a falsified on the driver’s application, but the agency mentioned that they do their own background checks.
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