Arraignment delayed for bus driver in fatal crash

The driver involved in last year's fatal Colusa County bus crash that killed 11 people made an appearance Wednesday in Colusa County Superior Court.

Quintin Joey Watts, 52, of Stockton, was scheduled for arraignment, but did not enter a plea.

"At this moment I have no attorney," Watts told the court, "but I should have one coming. We're trying to get one now."

Judge John H. Tiernan rescheduled arraignment for July 15 to allow Watts time to obtain a private attorney.

Watts asked the judge if he could request a change of venue.

Tiernan said Watts' future attorney would have to file "all the proper paperwork" before he would hear his request.

"That's normally what an attorney does," Tiernan said.

Watts was originally scheduled for arraignment last month; however, he was already behind bars at Deuel Vocational Institute in Tracy on an unrelated parole violation and was unable to attend.

He was transferred Tuesday from Tracy to the Colusa County Jail, a jail spokeswoman confirmed.

Watts is charged with 11 felony counts of vehicular manslaughter and two traffic violations stemming from the Oct. 5, 2008, crash.

Watts, who was ejected from the bus, was one of more than 30 injured when it crashed off rural Lonestar Road en route to Colusa Casino Resort. The owner of the charter bus, 68-year-old Daniel Cobb, was among those killed.

The bus was traveling an estimated 55 to 70 mph when at least seven passengers reported seeing Watts fall asleep. Cobb attempted to grab the steering wheel at the last minute, according to the California Highway Patrol accident report.

Following a seven-month investigation, the CHP concluded that Watts was the direct cause of the accident. The report said he had slept very little over the previous 40 hours leading up the fatal crash.

Watts remains in custody without bail in Colusa County Jail.

Rob Parsons is a reporter for Tri-County Newspapers. Contact him at rparsons@tcnpress.com.