The driver of a Park City bus is suspected of driving under the influence after the bus went off the road Saturday morning. Only the driver and a passenger were on board, and neither one was injured according to Summit County officials. The incident happened around 8am on Homestead Road between Jeremy Ranch and Pinebrook subdivisions.
Summit County Lt. Andrew Wright says investigators believe the accident was "100 percent driver error." Wright says the driver told officers on the scene that he fell asleep behind the wheel, but upon further investigation, the driver admitted he had been drinking the night before. Wright did not name the driver, but said he was a 43 year old man from Coalville.
Park City released a statement Sunday night from City Manager Diane Foster that said, in part, "Following the incident, first-responders from the Park City Fire District and Summit County Sheriff’s Department immediately rendered assistance, and post-accident procedures, consistent with Park City Transit and Federal Transit Administration policies and regulations, were initiated. Subsequently, the bus driver was arrested by the Summit County Sheriff, suspected of Driving Under the Influence and failure to operate within a single lane. The driver has been relieved of all duties and the City is following the process in state law and cannot further comment on the pending employment matter."
According to Foster, the driver started with the city as a part time driver in December, 2016, and returned as a seasonal employee in 2018. Foster noted that Park City Transit has a “zero tolerance” drug and alcohol policy, and drivers and mechanics are subject to background checks as well as pre-employment screening and random, post-accident testing.
Homestead Road was closed for about two hours Saturday morning after the accident while crews cleared the scene. Some diesel fuel from the truck leaked into East Canyon Creek, but Summit County officials say it was "minor."
