A bus driver in Bloomington, Indiana was high on methamphetamines when he slammed into the back of a minivan on July 22, 2017, authorities stated last week. Three people died and three were seriously hurt.

The 46-year-old male bus driver was arrested by the Indiana State Police after an arrest warrant was issued in Monroe County.

The prosecutor’s office stated that he was driving a passenger bus near Business 37 and Bayles Road just north of Bloomington, Indiana. It crashed into the back of a minivan that was stopped in a construction zone. 

A review of the bus GPS system revealed that the bus was going 65 MPH just before the wreck. He told the police that he had been distracted by ice on the floor of the bus. He looked down and kicked it away, he said. But he submitted a blood sample after the crash and it revealed that he was high on meth.

The bus driver in the deadly rear-end crash has been charged with  three counts of causing death while operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance in the blood (level 4 felony); three counts of reckless homicide (level 5 felony); and two counts of causing serious bodily Injury when operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II substance in the body.

The bus was owned by Miller Transportation, which operates buses in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. The company stated soon after the wreck that it had terminated the bus driver’s employment.

Our View

Virtually everyone knows how dangerous drinking and driving is, but driving while high on drugs is equally dangerous. The NHTSA states that low doses of methamphetamine from 10-30 mg can have serious effects on various types of task performance. The biggest problem with driving when high on this drug is that it increases one’s likelihood to engage in dangerous behavior and take risks. The driver in this crash was reported to be speeding. This is consistent with a driver who is taking this drug.

Higher doses of meth tend to result in reduced focus, slowed reflexes, loss of balance, mental agitation, and inability to follow directions. In short, driving while high on this type of illegal drug is extremely dangerous.

Just as with drunk driving cases, if you are injured by the actions of a driver who was high on drugs, you can sue for personal injury or wrongful death if you lost a loved one.  

This may be the best course of action if you have suffered serious injuries, with the help of a Virginia or North Carolina personal injury attorney.