Mar 23, 2009 10:44 pm US/Central
Metro Transit Bus Driver Accused Of Driving Drunk
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Police arrested Metro Transit bus driver Alonzo V. Martin at the Brooklyn Center Transit Center Saturday night. They said his blood-alcohol level registered at 0.24 when he was arrested.
Hennepin County
A Metro Transit bus driver faces accusations of driving drunk on his route. Police arrested Alonzo V. Martin at the Brooklyn Center Transit Center Saturday night. They said his blood-alcohol level registered at 0.24.
"He kept lifting his coat up and hiding his face," said rider Thomas Cunningham.
Cunningham got on a Route 5 Metro Transit bus Saturday, and as soon he sat down in his seat he noticed the driver was acting a little odd.
"When he hit the corner he was going too fast and he hit the bump. It was just me and my friends, but it was kind of scary though," said Cunningham.
Cunningham was not the only one who noticed the erratic behavior. Around 9:40 that night, a driver following Alonzo Martin's bus called 911 and said the bus driver was swerving.
Officers met Martin at the Brooklyn Center bus stop. They smelled alcohol on his breath and gave him a sobriety test.
"He seemed somewhat confused by some of the questions that the officer asked him and that led to the fact that we did believe that he was intoxicated during that interview," said command officer Tim Gannon of the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Police think Martin may have been drunk during his route, which he was nearly done with. They found an open bottle of alcohol near the driver's seat, and police said Martin's blood-alcohol level of 0.24 when he was arrested.
That is actually 6 times over the legal limit because people who drive commercial vehicles, like metro buses, have a legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.04 instead of 0.08.
Martin is now on administrative leave, but records show this is not the first time he has been accused of drunken driving. He has had two other DUI convictions and several other driving violations.
Metro Transit said they run background checks on each of their 1,400 drivers every day. Checks are done through the Department of Public Safety. Martin's previous DUI convictions were nearly 20 years ago.
"This is a very unique situation. It never before has happened in our history so we want to do a thorough, careful investigation and see where that takes us. In the meantime, we want to apologize to the community and to our riders," said Bob Gibbons of Metro Transit.
Martin was hired in January 2008 and was just promoted to be a full-time driver last month. His route runs from the Mall of America to Brooklyn Center. Martin posted bail and has been released, but faces DUI and open bottle charges. No one was injured on his route.
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