A commercial bus driver who passed out on a Connecticut highway after chewing gum laced with THC has been granted a special probation program that could wipe out the dozens of reckless endangerment charges he faces.
Speaking through a Mandarin interpreter at the Fairfield County Courthouse in Bridgeport Thursday, Jinhuan Chen, 59, claimed he had no idea he was enjoying marijuana-laced candy while taking 38 passengers to the Mohegan Sun Casino because he could not read or speak English, CTPost reported .
“He didn’t realize the candy he was eating contained THC,” his attorney, Daniel Esposito, told Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Reid.
“Mr. Chen considers himself lucky that no one was hurt,” Esposito said.
Chen was driving a Go Go Sun Tour bus loaded with casino visitors in March 2022 when the bus suddenly began to spin on Interstate 95 in Stratford, Conn. scared the passengers inside, police said.
The bus driver, Jinhuan Chen, 59, claimed he was unaware the candy he was eating contained THC — the active ingredient in marijuana. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
He was able to pull the bus over to the side of the road and call 911 before he passed out. Troopers found him lying unconscious in the driver’s seat with an open bag of “Smokies Edibles Cannabis Infused Fruit Chews” next to him, State Police said.
When taken to hospital, Chen was found to have high levels of THC – the active ingredient in cannabis – in his bloodstream, prosecutors said. He was later arrested at his home in Boston.
“This could potentially have a negative impact but [Chen] immediately pull over and call 911,” Judge Reid said before granting Chen “accelerated rehabilitation,” which carries two years of probation.
A Connecticut judge granted Chen special probation that would have thrown out the 38 first-degree reckless endangerment charges he faced after the bus incident if he stayed free of any crimes for two years. Getty Images
Under the terms of his probation, the 38 first-degree reckless endangerment charges Chen faces will be dismissed, as long as he does not commit another crime for two years.
Prosecutors said they did not object to Reid’s lighter sentence after examining the case more closely.
“There is no evidence that Mr. Chen deliberately ingested THC. He pulled over to the side of the road when he started feeling sick and called 911.”
Victor Chen, manager of Go Go Sun Tour, told Hearst Connecticut Media at the time that Chen had an unblemished driving record in the decade he worked for the company.
“He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke but he has a sweet tooth and likes sweets,” said Victor Chen.
“He picked up a bag of candy at the local market here and didn’t know it contained marijuana.”
Chen is still allowed to drive a bus while on probation.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
