Times Square crash: Double-decker driver William Dalambert arrested and charged with DWAI

William Dalambert, one of the two drivers involved in the double-decker tour bus crash in Times Square on Tuesday, was arrested and charged with DWAI.

There was no evidence that William Dalambert, of Irvington, New Jersey, had been drinking, but he was arrested after he failed a sobriety test, police said.

The results of urine and blood tests to determine whether he had used prescription or illegal drugs were pending, they said.

William Dalambert, 58, was to be arraigned on Wednesday on charges of driving while impaired. The name of his lawyer wasn’t immediately available.

He was at the wheel of a Gray Line bus that crashed into another double-decker tourist bus on Tuesday before traveling onto a sidewalk at Duffy Square, the location for the TKTS discount Broadway ticket booth.

The accident sent 14 people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

William Dalambert’s driving record includes 20 suspensions, though motor vehicle records show all of his privileges had been restored and he has a valid New Jersey license, according to state motor vehicle spokeswoman Sandy Grossman. His record includes license suspensions for non-payment of child support, uncompleted paperwork and fines on top of previous violations for not paying insurance, Sandy Grossman said.

He has a commercial license to carry passengers and endorsements to drive a number of other vehicles, including a motorcycle, a tanker, double and triple trailers and school buses, Sandy Grossman said.

Manhattan has seen a proliferation of the double-decker buses since 2005, when there were eight bus companies. Now there are 14 bus companies, operating more than 260 buses, but accidents are rare.

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