Medicare Trans Driver Arrested for DUI in Chinle, Arizona

A driver for Medicare Trans, a Phoenix-based medical transport company, was arrested in Chinle, Arizona on Friday after being found asleep behind the wheel of his van at a Chevron gas station. The driver, identified as a Navajo Nation member, had open and unopened beer cans and liquor bottles scattered throughout the vehicle.

The incident occurred around 2:30 am, just ahead of Labor Day weekend patrols by the Navajo Police Department, who warned of increased DUI enforcement across tribal lands. When an officer arrived on the scene, the driver showed obvious signs of heavy drinking and was administered sobriety tests in the gas station parking lot.

The driver's arrest has added to scrutiny around non-emergency medical transportation providers operating near tribal lands. The Arizona Medicaid agency requires NEMT providers to enforce strict drug and alcohol policies, run driver background checks, and obtain tribal commercial authorization before operating within sovereign tribal territory.