A commercial bus driver was arrested this week after he allegedly passed out behind the wheel while consuming a bag of THC gummies.
According to CT Post, Jinhuan Chen was taken into custody Monday at his Boston home, exactly three months after police responded to a call about a stranded bus on the side of I-95 in Stratford, Connecticut. Authorities reportedly arrived at the scene around 3 p.m. local time, and found Jinhuan Chen slumped over. He was reportedly driving 38 people from the Mohegan Sun Casino when he decided to pull over. One of the passengers reportedly told law enforcement they saw Jinhuan Chen eating something before he lost consciousness. Troopers said they found a bag of “Smokies Edibles Cannabis Infused Fruit Chews” next to the blacked-out driver.
The driver was then transported to Bridgeport Hospital, where doctors confirmed high levels THC in his bloodstream. None of the passengers were injured during the incident, and used a ride-sharing service to safely return home.
During a court appearance Tuesday, Jinhuan Chen claimed he was unaware that the gummies contained THC, which is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.
“I didn’t know it was marijuana,” Jinhuan Chen said through a Chinese interpreter. “I didn’t know.”
The driver is now facing 38 counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and was ordered to be held on $25,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 25.
Victor Chen, the manager of Go Go Sun Tour, defended Jinhuan Chen to Connecticut media, claiming his “driver didn’t know there was marijuana in the candy.”
“He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke but he has a sweet tooth and likes candy,” Victor Chen said, adding the defendant had been working for the company for 10 years. “He picked up a bag of candy at a local market here and didn’t know it had marijuana in it. This would never have happened a couple of years ago but now there’s marijuana everywhere here.”
