GRESHAM, OR (KPTV) –
An on-duty TriMet bus driver was cited for DUII after an officer stopped the bus in Gresham with one passenger on board early Tuesday morning, according to police.
A Gresham Police Department officer reported seeing the bus speeding on Southeast Stark Street near Southeast 205th Avenue at 12:36 a.m.
The officer stopped the bus near Southeast 223rd Avenue and said the driver showed signs of impairment.
The officer conducted a DUII investigation and arrested the driver, 55-year-old Lamont Biggs of Portland, on the charge of DUII.
Due to medical concerns, paramedics were called to evaluate Biggs. Police said his condition prevented him from being booked into the Multnomah County Jail, so he was cited and released to a TriMet supervisor at the scene.
There was one passenger on the bus, according to police, but that person left during the traffic stop and was not identified.
The driver has been placed on administrative leave and TriMet released a statement about the situation Tuesday.
TriMet is conducting an internal investigation as this is a very serious incident that, if found to be accurate, could be cause for termination under our collective bargaining agreement. While we cannot comment on personnel matters, we want to assure our riders and the public that this allegation does not reflect TriMet’s core value of safety. We have more than 1500 operators who work diligently day in and day out to provide safe transit service. An incident such as this does not reflect their commitment or TriMet’s commitment to our community.
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