Mohegan Sun bus driver avoids jail after eating marijuana gummies
A Connecticut bus driver who passed out on I-95 after eating an entire bag of Smokies Edibles Marijuana Fruit Chews will not go to jail for reckless endangerment, the Connecticut Post reports.
A Connecticut Supreme Court judge concluded Thursday that Chen did not know the gummies contained tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, because he could not speak or read English.
On March 13, 2022, Chen was driving a carload of Boston casino fans home from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut when he suddenly slumped over the steering wheel. The bus swerved from side to side before coming to a stop.
At approximately 3 p.m., Connecticut State Police responded to a report of a bus accident near Exit 30 in Stratford. Upon arrival, an officer found Chen unconscious in the driver's seat next to a bag of Smoky Mountain groceries.
Chen was immediately taken to Bridgeport Hospital, where tests revealed elevated levels of THC in his system. He was later charged with 38 counts of reckless endangerment.
Judge keeps everything quiet
Judge Elizabeth Reid sentenced the 59-year-old to accelerated rehabilitation and two years' probation. That means the 38 charges against him will be dropped unless he reoffends while on probation.
This could have had potentially devastating consequences, but he (Chen) immediately stopped and called 911," the judge said.
Assistant District Attorney Peter Cunniff did not object to a lenient sentence and agreed there was no evidence Chen knowingly ingested THC.
According to his employer, Victor Chen, Chen had worked for Gaoxin Bus Company for ten years and had an exemplary record.
“He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, but he loves sweets and loves sweets,” Victor Chen told The Washington Post last year.
Horror Collapse
Mr. Chen is lucky. In March 2011, a World Wide Tours bus traveling from Mohegan Sun crashed in a New York suburb, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.
The bus skidded and collided with a metal sign pole, which penetrated the vehicle and tore off the roof. Some witnesses said the driver, Ophadel Williams, fell asleep at the wheel. Williams denied this. He claimed he lost control while trying to avoid a swerving tractor.
He was charged with manslaughter and manslaughter but was acquitted by a jury in December 2012.
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Source: www.casino.org
