DDOT shares information regarding early morning bus accident

The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is sharing details of an accident that occurred this morning involving a DDOT bus as part of the Department’s commitment to safety and transparency.

At approximately 8:20 am on Friday, December 1, a DDOT transportation equipment operator inadvertently hit the accelerator while executing a Michigan Left turn. The vehicle drove over the curb and struck a tree along the edge of the road. While there were passengers on the bus at the time of the accident, thankfully no one was seriously injured. The accident occurred on route 17 along Eight Mile Road.

Following federal protocols, the transit equipment operator was immediately removed from service and taken to the clinic for post-accident drug and alcohol testing, at which time he failed his breath alcohol test. To protect the safety of public transportation customers, federal protocols for transit equipment operators set a lower breath alcohol limit than the State of Michigan limit for motor vehicle operators in general.

The transit equipment operator has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending investigation.

“As I have said since my first day on the job, safer service and more reliable service are DDOT’s top two priorities,” said Interim Executive Director Michael Staley. “Violations of DDOT’s drug and alcohol policy will be treated with the utmost urgency and seriousness, and the Department will take appropriate action based on the results of the investigation in this case. DDOT bus drivers provide a vital public service to the community, and we will continue our full-court-press to improve safety and service.”