Bus driver who passed out behind the wheel from weed gummies gets probation

A commercial bus driver who blacked out on a Connecticut highway after munching on THC-infused gummies was granted a special probation program that could wipe out the dozens of reckless endangerment charges he faced.

Speaking through a Mandarin interpreter at Fairfield County Courthouse in Bridgeport Thursday, Jinhuan Chen, 59, claimed he didn’t know he was snacking on cannabis-laced candies while busing 38 passengers to Mohegan Sun Casino because he’s unable to read or speak English, CTPost reported.

“He was unaware the candy he consumed contained THC,” his attorney, Daniel Esposito, told Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Reid.

“Mr. Chen considers himself fortunate that no one was harmed,” Esposito said.

Chen was driving a Go Go Sun Tour bus loaded with casino visitors in March 2022 when the bus suddenly started swerving on Interstate 95 in Stratford, Conn. frightening the passengers on board, cops said.

He was able to pull the bus to the side of the road and call 911 before he passed out. Troopers found him slumped in the driver’s seat unconscious with an open bag of “Smokies Edibles Cannabis Infused Fruit Chews” next to him, State Police said.

Upon being brought to the hospital, Chen was found to have high levels of THC — the active ingredient in marijuana — in his bloodstream, prosecutors said. He was later arrested at his home in Boston.

“This potentially could have had devastating consequences but [Chen] immediately pulled over and called 911,” Judge Reid said before granting Chen “accelerated rehabilitation,” which carries two years of probation.

Under the terms of his probation, the 38 counts of first-degree reckless endangerment Chen faced over will be dismissed, as long as he doesn’t commit another crime for two years.

Prosecutors said they did not object to Reid’s lenient sentencing after looking into the case more thoroughly.

“There is no evidence Mr. Chen knowingly ingested THC. He pulled over to the side of the road when he began feeling ill 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 candy,” Victor Chen said.

“He picked up a bag of candy at a local market here and didn’t know it had marijuana in it.”

Chen will still be allowed to drive a bus while on probation.