Bus driver accused of getting high behind the wheel, crashes into home
A bus driver in Sydney, Australia, crashed into a home because authorities say he fell asleep at the wheel right after getting high -- and it was all caught on camera.
7 News reports: The security camera designed to protect him and his passengers is now key evidence in his prosecution.
Luckily there was nobody on the bus at the time and nobody in the home was injured.
Fifty-seven-year-old Shaun Murphy pleaded guilty to driving recklessly and driving with illicit substances in his blood. He will go to court Thursday to receive his sentence.
On the day of the incident, though, NineMSN reports that there was confusion as to why Murphy lost control. The bus company said that he suffered from a medical condition, and the residents of the neighborhood where he crashed had no reason to believe otherwise.
The bus' camera told an entirely different story, though. Local station 7 News Sydney shows footage of Murphy smoking what media outlets are calling synthetic marijuana.
7 News reports that he was captured inhaling from a green pipe 13 times.
Unlike regular marijuana, The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that synthetic marijuana, also called Spice or K2, is "made specifically to be abused." It contains chemicals called cannabimimetics, and government officials consider synthetic drug use to be extremely dangerous to not only the user, but the public as well.
The AAPCC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse say there are some similarities between the health effects of pot and K2, though - including:
1. Increased heart rate
2. Increased anxiety and suicidal thoughts
3. Hallucinations
Murphy tested positive for more than just synthetic marijuana. Authorities say that he had morphine and methamphetamine in his system, as well. Although Murphy hasn't made a statement about the crash, his lawyer had this to say, according to NineMSN:
"Mr. Murphy is extremely remorseful for his conduct."
Murphy had been working for the bus company for less than a year and is no longer employed there.
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