Bus Driver in Fatal California Crash Is Arrested

A bus driver with a string of motor vehicle offenses and a history of substance abuse was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Monday, hours after his casino-bound charter bus ran into a ditch, killing eight people.

Investigators also said the bus had an invalid license plate, and they were looking into whether the driver had proper permits to operate the vehicle. The bus ran off the road Sunday while taking passengers to a northern California casino. About 30 people were injured.

Records show 52-year-old Quintin Watts of Stockton had been cited for speeding and other violations that resulted in loss of his license for nearly two years. He regained his driving privileges last January.

Watts was arrested as he lay critically injured in his hospital bed. His mother said he had wrestled with drug and alcohol problems, was jailed several times on drug charges and had smashed a car carrying a friend into a tree a few years ago, though neither was seriously hurt.

Related

High Court Could Block 'Light' Cigarettes Lawsuit

WATCH: Man Struck by Lightning

Goldmans Happy About Simpson Verdict

He was a longtime truck driver, but had been unable to find a trucking job since being released from jail on a domestic violence charge six months ago, his mother said.

Chaney Mae Watts said she believed the crash came on her son's first day behind the wheel of the bus after several training trips watching the owner drive. She and her husband told their son they were uncomfortable with him driving a vehicle that carried people instead of cargo.

"He wasn't the best driver," she said. "He knew we didn't want him to drive."

The accident was at least the eighth serious crash in the U.S. in the last three years involving buses carrying people to and from casinos.

Authorities were investigating whether prescription or nonprescription drugs or alcohol, or a combination, were involved in the crash. Blood test results are not expected for two to six weeks.

"We believe he was driving under the influence of something. That's why we placed him under arrest," said California Highway Patrol spokesman Robert Kays.