A Metro Transit driver whose bus crashed along Nicollet Mall last week died of natural causes after collapsing at the wheel.
The Hennepin County medical examiner's office said John L. Senior Jr., 58, of Edina, "suffered a sudden collapse."
A Metro Transit spokesman, Drew Kerr, said Senior, 58, began working at the agency in 2013.
When he last renewed his driver's license, the 6-foot-1 Senior listed his weight as 350 pounds. He joined the Edina Fire Department in 1980 but lost his job in 1988 after his weight reached 400 pounds.
His weight prevented him from fastening the belly strap of a self-contained breathing apparatus, considered an essential piece of equipment for firefighters. He also said he had difficulty climbing a ladder while wearing standard firefighting gear.
Senior fought to be reinstated, ultimately failing to win over the state Court of Appeals in 1996.
Kerr said in an e-mail on Sunday that "all operators must be medically certified by a Metro Transit-approved physician before they are hired and are required to renew their medical certifications at least every two years thereafter. These medical certifications are a (Department of Transportation) requirement to hold a Commercial Driver's License."
Metro Transit also verifies that operators have current, valid driver's license daily, he said.
