A Delta, B.C. man has been given a year-long driving prohibition and a $1,000 fine for driving 36 passengers on a commercial bus while drunk last year.
Craig Randle was 65 years old when he was pulled over on the Trans-Canada Highway between the 15 Street and Taylor Way exits just after 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 5.
West Vancouver police detained him and sampled his breath after a passenger on the bus, bound from Whistler to Vancouver, called 911 to report his erratic driving.
At the North Vancouver courthouse on Thursday, it was revealed his blood-alcohol limit was more than double the legal limit and at the time of his arrest, he struggled to stand up.
Randle was charged last October with operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs or alcohol, and driving with a blood alcohol concentration equal to or over the legal limit.
At the time, West Vancouver police said they were “fortunate” a concerned citizen had called them.
“That, combined with the quick action of our officers, resulted in the bus being stopped before a serious incident could occur,” said Const. Nicole Braithwaite in a November news release.
Randle resigned from his bus driving job the day after his arrest.
Editor’s Note: This is a corrected story. A previous version stated that 35 passengers were on the bus. New information presented in court Thursday revealed there were 36 passengers.