According to an article appearing on the NBC Sports website, a bus driver for the Pittsburgh Pirates was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol while he was transporting the team from Chicago to Milwaukee to play the Brewers over the weekend.
The Illinois State Police said in a statement that at approximately 11:28 p.m., troopers escorting the team on its trip to Wisconsin noted the bus being driven erratically. The State Patrol troopers eventually pulled the bus over along Interstate 94 as they were leaving the city.
Initially, state troopers summoned an ambulance out of concern of a possible medical emergency. However, the law enforcement officers observed the driver displaying “multiple signs of impairment” and placed him under arrest.
Brian Warecki, Senior Vice President of Communications for the Major League ball club, told reporters the organization was ”deeply concerned” about what took place.
“The important thing is that all our personnel arrived in Milwaukee safely,” Warkecki said.
According to Warecki, team transportation is contracted to a local provider, and team management is now in communication with the appropriate parties regarding the matter.
The Illinois State Police have identified the driver as 61-year-old Ronald E. Funderburke of Shelby, North Carolina.
Both authorities and the Pirates organization said that Funderburke was a contractor and not an employee of the ball club.
