Story Archive

Hard-Driving II

It was chaos at a Krispy Kreme doughnut store in Richmond, Va.: a minivan veered across several lanes of traffic and crashed into the building. Workers busy remodeling the store were injured. Hours later, the driver — now at the wheel of his other car — rear-ended a woman who had passed him because he didn’t go at a green light. Police charged Jay James Bertrand, 47, who wasn’t injured in either crash, with two counts of driving under the influence of drugs. At his arraignment, the judge ordered that Bertrand be monitored for drug and alcohol use, and asked him if he had a job. Bertrand “sheepishly” replied that he probably didn’t anymore: he had been a pastor at Varina Baptist Church and was seeking “release” if he wasn’t already fired. “Here’s a man who has devoted his life to helping others,” explained his brother-in-law, “and now he’s needing help himself. He’s not used to that.” (RC/Richmond Times-Dispatch) ...Is that his excuse for not calling on the hospitalized workers?