Greyhound bus driver’s license suspended days before Fresno crash, CHP says. Why was he driving?
The Greyhound bus driver who police believe was high on drugs when he crashed a passenger bus over the weekend in Fresno was charged on Tuesday with felony DUI and a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended or revoked license.
The suspected driver, 28-year-old Ashton Castillo of Los Angeles could face up to six years in jail if convicted, the Fresno District Attorney’s Office said. He will be arraigned Wednesday morning in Fresno County Superior Court.
Castillo remained in jail Tuesday in lieu of $33,800 bail.
The CHP said one person at the scene was treated for injuries and released Sunday after the bus carrying 35 people from Sacramento to Fresno slammed into a guardrail on Highway 99 in Fresno. About 10 people complained of pain following the crash, investigators said.
Castillo’s license was suspended or withdrawn on Thursday, March 21, just four days before the crash, the CHP said. It’s not clear why his license for a Class A vehicle, which includes buses, was suspended or revoked since it happened in New Mexico. It’s also unclear why Castillo apparently continued to drive for the commercial passenger company after Thursday.
Officers are working to get to the bottom of it, said Officer Vic Taylor, a CHP spokesman.
As of Tuesday, charges were not filed against Castillo.
Greyhound Lines Inc. did not respond to requests for comment.
This story was originally published March 26, 2019 at 12:44 PM.