MTD bus driver suspected of DUI
Acting on an anonymous tip, authorities arrested a 43-year-old Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District bus driver last Friday on suspicion of driving on the job while intoxicated, police officials confirmed.
Dispatchers received the anonymous call at approximately 6:40 a.m. and alerted officers to locate bus No. 907 for further investigation, Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte said.
“By the time the officers arrived at the MTD transit center located at 1020 Chapala St., they had the bus there,” he said, explaining that the transit supervisor had called in the driver.
Authorities spoke with the suspect, identified as Brenda Lissette Juarez, of Goleta. She was cooperative and agreed to be taken to the police station for further investigation, Duarte said.
Following a DUI evaluation, police placed Juarez under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, he said. Attempts to locate Juarez for comment were not successful.
Investigators also spoke with a woman who had been on the bus when it arrived at the transit center. She told police she climbed aboard as the only passenger and rode for approximately five to 10 minutes before the bus was called in, Duarte said.
“She had noticed an odor of alcohol just upon entering the bus,” he added.
Authorities said Juarez was cited and released at the police station to an MTD supervisor.
While MTD officials declined to comment on the specific incident, citing personnel privacy laws, they said any substance abuse among their drivers is a clear violation of the transportation agency’s policy.
“The policy is we don’t tolerate it,” said Sherrie Fisher, MTD’s general manager. “If you were an MTD employee on the job and you were found to be under the influence of anything inappropriate … you would find yourself terminated as an employee.”
In her 35-year history with the transit district, Fisher said she had never had police remove a driver from a bus for an alcohol-related or drug-related investigation, although she added that the agency has chosen to fire employees in the past for substance abuse issues.
“It’s rare that this happens,” she said. “Part of it is because our policy is to do random testing.”
Along with pre-employment screenings and biannual tests when employees renew their driver’s license or commercial license, MTD also holds random drug tests for all of its workers. Anyone who tested positive would lose their job and be sent to a substance abuse professional.
“On any given day, anybody could be pulled for a random test,” said David Damiano, MTD’s manager of transit development and community relations.
When asked about Juarez’ driving record and history with the transit agency, MTD officials declined to comment, again citing privacy policies.
“Safety is always our top priority,” Fisher said. “It remains that way.”
Comment on this article
MTD DRIVER ARRESTED : 8/11/2009
The comment from Sherrie Fisher " she had never had police remove a driver from a bus for an alcohol-related or drug-related investigation" What about the bus driver who was selling cocaine about 15 years ago, there were several bus drivers who went down with him.
classic
classic : 8/11/2009
Fisher means they've never knowingly had a case of a driver driving under the influence before. Selling coke doesn't mean you're driving while stoned.
Rich Wilson
What would Thyne do? : 8/11/2009
If she gets fired, she could always run for City Council.
Myrtle
Bus Driver : 8/11/2009
GREAT !!! Another drunk off the road !!! To bad she took her problem to work, now she loses her license, a lot of money in fines and attorney fees and her JOB. I wonder if she'll learn from this?
Happy Reader
Drunk Driver : 8/11/2009
I wonder why her blood/alcohol content wasn't published? I'm curious what it was
Curious
Drunk Bus Drivers.. : 8/11/2009
I use to have this fear about riding on buses..You never know what the driver might be on what if one just gunned it with a full bus and shot off the end of Sterns Warf going about 70..Maybe MTD Ought to pay more and get better qualifed people..
Bing Bong
Qualified Drivers? : 8/11/2009
I happen to know...through being friends with a Driver for MTD......... Drivers are well paid individuals who are highly trained and more than qualified to drive your bus. I also know they drive with pride and your safety is the most important thing to them. One Driver who screws up, like in this story, does not represent every driver. It represents the actions of one person. A Bus Driver driving off the pier, is as likely as you being hit by a low flying plane.
Friend of a Driver
MTD Bus Driveer : 8/12/2009
It's too bad this had to happen, If she wanted Fiesta time she should have took the day off and I agree just because one driver was driving under the influence does not mean all drivers drive while drinking most are very nice and I've always felt safe getting on an MTD bus.
Safe
yea right... : 8/12/2009
I know a driver that got fired a couple years back driving drunk for MTD, Then he went to Amtrak, drove a bus for them drunk got caught got fired...I think he's driving a cab now..
MTD is full of B.S...
MTD employee knew but let drunk driver drive??????? : 8/12/2009
Why did MTS personnel let the driver board the bus and drive when they knew she was drunk? Seems that should have been considered an emergency situation and the driver should have been prevented from driving in the first place. This oversight on the part of MTD should be explored and policy should be put in place that prevents such a situation. If any employee suspects someone is intoxicated, they should have an avenue to pursue that prevents that employee from driving.
: 8/13/2009
Maybe he should run for Santa Barbara City Council?
MTD Driver : 8/18/2009
MTD employee knew but let drunk driver drive??????? if that was the case then you know a really stupid MTD employee but you can be sure it was not a superviser that knew because the driver would never had been allowed to drive and from what I hear they have taken steps from this happening again, I'm sure they do not want to have a bunch of lawsuits and people hurt it's only common sense. I mean come on do you think any company wants this kind of publicity.
Jeez
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