Van Nuys Drunk-Driver School to Be Shut Down : Company Accused of Falsifying Records

Los Angeles County health officials said Tuesday they will shut down a Van Nuys-based treatment program for convicted drunk drivers while authorities investigate the firm for allegedly falsifying completion certificates, including one for a man charged with killing his wife in a drunk-driving accident.

The health department’s action was prompted by investigations by the Los Angeles Police Department and the state Department of Motor Vehicles into the death of Armine Karapetian.

She was killed last month when a car driven by her husband, Harry Bouboushian, went out of control at more than 100 m.p.h., became airborne and hit two cars before landing on Los Feliz Boulevard just west of Vermont Avenue, police said. Bouboushian, 34, of Los Angeles, has been charged with killing his wife and critically injuring four other passengers while driving drunk.

The accident occurred just three days after Bouboushian received a certificate from Driver Safety Schools of Van Nuys, showing that he had completed a one-year treatment program at the company’s school in the 6400 block of Van Nuys Boulevard after a previous drunk-driving conviction.

Students enrolled at such schools have been ordered by the courts to attend rehabilitation programs as part of the penalty for drunk driving. At the end of the programs, which vary in length from 120 days to 30 months, depending on the number of convictions, students must furnish the courts with proof that they have completed the treatment.

Given Certificate

George Weir, a spokesman for the county Department of Health Services, said a review of the school’s records after the accident indicated that Bouboushian had been given a certificate without actually completing the program. He said the county has decided to close the facility because it also appeared that the company, which has a contract with the county to provide the programs, did not keep accurate records.

Weir said workers will begin referring about 800 people enrolled in the Van Nuys Boulevard facility of Driver Safety Schools to other court-ordered drunk-driving rehabilitation programs today.

In addition, the health department has told court officials to stop referring convicted drunk drivers to the company’s six other schools in the county, Weir said.

Allan L. Freedman, an attorney for Driver Safety Schools, said Tuesday that the health department should have held a hearing before closing the school and suspending court-ordered referrals. He said he believes some company employees “may have engaged in criminal activities,” but that it was not a company policy to provide false completion certificates.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeffrey D. Oscodar said that shortly after the July 16 accident, Los Angeles police obtained a search warrant and seized Driver Safety Schools’ records. Oscodar said he could not comment on the case because the matter is still under investigation.

Weir said the DMV is also investigating Driver Safety Schools because the firm operates a school for other traffic violators.

Review Board Proposed

After learning about the case, Supervisor Mike Antonovich on Tuesday proposed establishing a review board to monitor the 119 mandatory rehabilitation programs for drunk drivers in the county. Such programs are licensed by the state but monitored by the county health department.

“This review board would reveal if it is a one-time occurrence or a recurring problem,” Antonovich said.

The Board of Supervisors will consider the request Tuesday.

Weir said he believes that the majority of the companies who run such programs do a good job. He defended the county’s monitoring program, saying that the four annual visits inspectors make to the schools are adequate. Two of those visits are unannounced, he said.

Driver Safety Schools has facilities in Canoga Park, Glendale, Beverly Hills, East Los Angeles, Huntington Park and Whittier.