The driver of a celebrity tour van was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a crash on Coldwater Canyon that injured nearly a dozen people and left wrecked vehicles just outside a Beverly Hills Fire Department station.
Beverly Hills police said the collision happened around 9:45 Sunday night when the tour van, with 11 people on board, was struck from behind by another vehicle and pushed into another car. When officers arrived at the scene they began to suspect the tour van driver was impaired, said Sgt. Sean Smollen.
"They observed signs of impairment, and at that point they put him through a field sobriety test," and took the driver into custody, Smollen said.
The driver, Howard Ferguson, 57, was released after he was issued a citation and was ordered to appear in court Wednesday, booking records show.
The van was operated by Los Angeles USA Tours. The person answering the phone at its office Monday hung up when asked about the crash. CHP records show the company was last inspected in March and its facility and vehicle were given a, "satisfactory," rating.
