San Diego Bus Driver Charged with Drunk Driving

It was an alert passenger on a bus in San Diego, who alerted authorities to the fact that the driver of the bus she was traveling in was intoxicated, and in serious danger of causing an accident. The driver of the bus, David Joseph Castillo has now been charged with drunk driving and public intoxication.

Costello is an employee of First Transit, a private bus company that has taken over bus operations for the North County Transit District. He had been employed by the company for just about three months. On the day of the arrest, passenger Emily Knudson was riding the bus on route 390 between Oceanside and Encitas. Knudson noticed that Castillo seemed very sweaty and disoriented. He frequently pulled over at unauthorized places, including one spot where he alighted from the bus and apparently relieved himself.

A concerned Knudson dialed 911.  Costello was arrested after he failed a series of sobriety tests.  His alcohol levels were at a high of .25. Commercial drivers have a maximum legally allowed alcohol limit of .04, compared to .08 for the general motorist population. According to officers who responded to the scene, Castillo was seriously impaired. His speech was slurred, and his coordination was clumsy.

Court documents show that Castillo has been cited for drunk driving related offenses at least nine times since 2006 alone. These offenses include being drunk in public. His parents say he has had a problem with his alcohol addiction for years now. He has now been charged with two counts of misdemeanor DUI and two counts of public intoxication.

How a driver with such a history of addiction to alcohol ended up being employed by a company that has now taken over bus operations for the public-funded North County Transit District, is a mystery to California bus accident attorneys.  It was extremely fortunate here that Knudson showed the presence of mind to alert authorities to the fact that the driver of the bus was severely intoxicated.  With the kind of impaired condition that Castillo was driving in, it’s highly likely that he would have been involved in an accident, placing his passengers at a serious risk of injuries. Besides, an intoxicated driver can also impact the lives and safety for motorists who share the road with this driver.

The serious devastation that can occur when an intoxicated driver is operating a massive commercial vehicle, is the reason why these drivers have strict laws regarding alcohol and drug use. Employers are required to conduct drug and alcohol tests before hiring a driver. They’re also required to frequently administer random drug and alcohol tests over the course of his employment. This is to make sure that none of their drivers are ever in a situation where they’re driving a commercial bus a tractor-trailer, under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The North County Transit District has promised that it will investigate the matter, and find out how its passengers were placed at such risk by an intoxicated driver.  California bus accident attorneys know there won’t be an Emily Knudson stepping up to protect passengers every time.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bus accidents and drunk driving victims. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.