A medical transport driver was arrested after Navajo Nation police found him asleep behind the wheel of a company van containing beer cans and liquor bottles in Chinle, Arizona.
The 32-year-old man was discovered at a Chevron petrol station at about 2.30am on Friday, 4 September, according to police. The vehicle belonged to Phoenix-based Medicare Trans, which provides non-emergency transport for patients.
Officers approaching the parked van reportedly found both open and unopened alcohol containers inside. Police said the driver showed clear signs of intoxication when he woke and was subjected to sobriety tests at the scene.
He was taken to the Navajo Department of Corrections facility in Chinle and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and possessing alcohol. His company vehicle was towed away.
The suspect has not been publicly identified. Authorities said only that he is a member of the Navajo Nation.
Medicare Trans, which operates transport services in Arizona and provides coverage on Navajo Nation reservations, had not responded to requests for comment.
The arrest came at the start of the Labor Day weekend, when Navajo police warned that increased patrols would target impaired drivers across the reservation.
