The San Diego Union Tribune reported that a bus driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol Tuesday afternoon in Encinitas. According to the NC Times, a passenger on the North County Transit District (NCTD) bus, which was on route 309 from Oceanside to Encinitas, called the Sheriff's Department after observing the driver making unscheduled stops and pulling over to urinate in the bushes.
Sheriff's deputies stopped the bus at about 4:29 p.m. at 479 Encinitas Blvd. After conducting a field sobriety test, deputies arrested the 40-year-old driver on suspicion of driving a commercial vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. He was booked at the Vista Detention Facility.
The bus driver, David Joseph Costello, is employed by First Transit, a private Ohio-based company contracts with the NCTD and other transit districts across the country for bus drivers. In a statement, the NCTD's executive director said, "We take this allegation seriously, and we will be very aggressive in investigating and taking whatever action is necessary to prevent a reoccurrence of this event."
It is very fortunate that no one was injured in this situation, which could have ended disastrously for both the eight passengers on the bus and countless others on the road. The observant passenger absolutely did the right thing in contacting law enforcement right away about his suspicions, and may have prevented an accident.
Sources: San Diego Union Tribune, NBC San Diego, North County Times
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