Zamboni Driver Arrested for Suspected DUI at High School Hockey Game

Cass County Jail(FARGO, N.D.) — A Zamboni driver was arrested for allegedly driving the large, resurfacing machine while impaired at a North Dakota hockey rink, police said on Saturday.

At a high school girls’ hockey game in Fargo on Friday, some spectators noticed the Zamboni driver exhibiting “erratic behavior” between the first and second period, according to Jim Larson, the director of finance and human resources for Fargo Parks, which runs the rink.

“Some of the parents noticed the driver appeared to be impaired,” Larson said.

A school district employee called authorities, Larson said, and the driver, Fargo Parks employee Steven Anderson, was arrested for suspected DUI, the Fargo Police Department said.

No players were on the ice while Anderson was allegedly driving, according to Larson, and no injuries or damages were reported.

“I have been with the district for 22 years and this is the first time we’ve experienced this,” Larson said.

Anderson has since been released on bail, police said.

Anderson has “worked for us on and off seasonally for six years,” Larson said. He added that Anderson “is removed totally from work at this time. We will formally address the personnel issue on Monday.”

“Safety is critical,” Larson said. “We consider this to be a very serious incident. On Monday we will take a full review to see how this happened and what we can do to keep it from ever occurring again.”

Anderson could face up to 30 days in jail along with a fine of up to $1,000, Fargo police told ABC News.


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