In more news coming in about the Sacramento bus crash, which is confirmed to have killed 10 people, the driver of the bus has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

According to a news story in the San Francisco Chronicle, the driver, 52-year-old Quintin Watts is suspected of driving under the influence of prescription medication at the time of the tragic bus crash that has injured at least 36 people. Watts himself has been hospitalized at a Woodland facility for his injuries in the bus accident which occurred 60 miles north of Sacramento. The injured have been rushed to UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Woodland Memorial Hospital, Oroville Hospital, Enloe Medical Center, Colusa Regional Medical Center, Rideout Memorial Hospital, and Mercy San Juan Medical Center. Injuries range from minor to extremely serious.

Watts seems to have had a checkered safety record in his driving career. His records show that he was involved in a bus accident in January 2006, although details of that crash aren’t available at this point. Just five days after that crash, he had been convicted for failing to wear a seat belt, resulting from an enforcement action. In December 2005 and February 2006, he was also arrested for speeding and for failing to appear in court in these incidents. It’s not clear yet if Watts was speeding at the time of the Sacramento bus crash, but the speed limit on the two-lane road in Williams, California, where the crash occurred, is 55 mph.

The situation in Sacramento is getting murkier by the minute. We already know that there is ambiguity about the ownership of the bus. The vehicle was once operated by Greyhound Lines, but Greyhound officials have claimed that they don’t own the bus. Attempts to trace the owner of the vehicle are ongoing. The license has been deemed invalid, and all other attempts to trace the bus owner with the serial registration numbers have drawn a blank. Now, comes this news about the driver’s less than stellar record behind the wheel. Everything seems to point to a clandestine bus operation.

We hope that investigations can lead us to the bus company that owns the vehicle, as quickly as possible. There are 10 families that have lost loved ones in this bus crash, and many more who are injured and in the hospital. The families of those dead in this bus accident should get in touch with a Sacramento bus accident lawyer as quickly as possible, to safeguard their rights.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in the Sacramento bus crash, contact The Reeves Law Group. The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bus accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.