An Uber driver was facing DUI and resisting arrest charges Thursday after driving through a red light and slamming into a party bus in downtown San Diego, police said.
The crash took place just before midnight Wednesday near the intersection of Sixth Avenue and F Street, said Lt. Dan Smyth with the San Diego Police Department.
The Uber driver was traveling south on Sixth Avenue when he ran a red light at F Street and rear ended the back of a parked bus, witnesses told Smyth.
The bus, described as a “large party bus” by Smyth, was not badly wrecked but sustained some damage to the rear.
“Fortunately the bus was empty other than the driver,” Smyth said.
Video from the scene showed the damaged car had an Uber sticker attached to the front windshield.
“The Uber driver’s car was totaled,” according to Smyth, who said the driver had sustained a minor injury to his shoulder.
The driver also failed a field sobriety test and put up a struggle while being taken into custody, according to Smyth.
“We had to maximumly restrain him,” Smyth said.
Kaleb Weakley said he was exiting a nearby business when he saw the Uber driver being arrested.
“All I know is he got tased, he went to the ground and then disappeared,” Weakley said.
Following the crash, authorities said the Uber driver had been on his way to pick up a fare when he struck the bus.
“He was on his Uber shift. We don’t know if he had driven anybody yet, but he said he was en route downtown to pick up a fare,” Smyth said.
A spokesperson for Uber later contacted KTLA and confirmed the driver did work for the company but said he was not logged in or picking up a fare at the time of the crash. The spokesperson emailed the following statement:
“We have a zero tolerance policy for using or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs while driving on the Uber platform. This individual was not logged in to the Uber app at the time this incident occurred or on his way to pick up a rider. We are clearly disappointed that this occurred and have permanently removed this driver-partner’s access to the Uber platform.”
It was unclear if the Uber driver, who was not identified, was speeding at the time of the crash.
He was facing driving under the influence and resisting arrest charges, according to Smyth.
