COPS: DRIVER'S POT USE CAUSED CRASH

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A bus driver's use of marijuana hours before the
Mother's Day crash that killed 22 people was the main cause of the accident,
according to a police report released Tuesday.

A blood test showed Frank Bedell, 46, who died Sunday of a heart attack,
took marijuana between two and six hours before his bus full of mostly
elderly women veered off a highway and smashed into a concrete abutment, the
report said.

The report listed Bedell's drug use as the main factor leading to the May 9
crash of the Custom Bus Charters bus -- the worst in New Orleans history.

The report ruled out other possible causes, such as mechanical failure.
Bedell's extensive health problems, including heart disease and kidney
failure, were discussed in detail but were not listed as contributing
factors.

The report, forwarded to prosecutors last week before Bedell died,
recommended that he be charged with vehicular homicide, first-degree
vehicular negligent injuring, reckless operation of a vehicle and driving
while intoxicated.

Bedell's death ends any possibility of criminal prosecutions in the case,
police said. They declined to elaborate on their findings.

``The report speaks for itself,'' Lt. Marlon Defillo said.

Custom Bus officials declined comment as well.

The report said the blood test also detected that Bedell had been taking
Benadryl, an over-the-counter medication commonly used for allergies. People
who take the medication are cautioned not to drive because it can cause
drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision and confusion.

Bedell denied being impaired and told police the accident happened when he
veered to avoid a car he thought was going to cross into his lane. Bedell
never spoke again to investigators before he died, on the advice of his
lawyer.

An investigation discovered Bedell received treatment in a hospital
emergency room for dehydration and extremely low blood pressure 12 hours
before the accident. Earlier that day, he underwent dialysis.

Bedell previously had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, a
condition that should have prevented him from keeping his commercial
driver's license, officials said.

Bedell also was fired from two other bus companies after testing positive
for marijuana use. Custom officials have said they called those companies
for Bedell's references, but were never told about the positive drug tests.

The police report on Bedell shows the need for a national commercial driver
database so bus companies can track drivers' drug test histories, said
Victor Parra, chief executive officer of the United Motorcoach Association,
a bus company trade group.

``We have peoples' lives at stake and this accident was evidence of that,''
Parra said.