Bus driver who veered off bridge, refused test is suspended

The driver of a New York City bus that plunged off a bridge has been suspended after refusing a drug and alcohol test

APTOPIX Bus Crash Overpass (Copyright The Associated Press 2021)

The driver of a New York City bus that plunged off a bridge has been suspended after refusing to submit to a drug and alcohol test a regional transit agency said Saturday.

The 55-year-old driver has been “withheld from service without pay” following the dramatic crash, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Saturday. His name has not been made public.

Seven passengers suffered minor injuries after one part of the articulated bus fell 50 feet (15.2 meters) onto a highway ramp. The other half remained on the bridge. No other vehicles were involved.

The MTA said speed appeared to be a factor in the crash. The driver passed a breath test at the scene but then refused to submit at the hospital to a drug and alcohol test, said Patrick Warren, the MTA’s chief safety and security officer.

The driver, who was driving his regular route, has more than 11 years of service and a good safety record, the MTA said.