By DAN SHAW
dshaw@journalandcourier.com

Alcohol likely played a factor in the death of a man who was hit by a bus Thursday night, police say.

Tests revealed that Eugene F. Hunt, the victim of the crash, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.23 percent that night, according to Lt. Chris Weaver, of the Lafayette Police Department.

Marty Sennett, the general manager of CityBus, said Hunt apparently fell under the bus' wheels after the driver had let him off on North 11th Street, between Columbia and South streets.

"We suspect he lost his balance," Sennett said. "Now why did he lose his balance? We don't know."

Sennett said the driver followed company policy by making sure Hunt was standing on the sidewalk before he moved the bus forward. Sennett said the driver won't be disciplined.

"He did exactly what he was supposed to do and trained to do," Sennett said. "His performance is not in question."

Hunt, 68, who lived on the 1200 block of Columbia Street in Lafayette, was convicted numerous times of public intoxication. He was last arrested for that reason on Oct. 6.

The bus driver, Bryan Walck, 21, of Lafayette, was not injured in the crash. Walck submitted to the required tests, such as those to determine if a driver is intoxicated, as required by law.

He was not found to be under the influence of alcohol.