By ELGIN JONESHOMESTEAD- A high school track and field coach, whose team members were left stranded after he was arrested, while driving them to a meet, has been fired, according to several sources.
Walter Chambliss, 26, was arrested Friday, April 6 by Florida Highway Patrol troopers. Chambliss was an assistant coach of the Homestead Senior High School track and field team.
He was driving a rental car while taking four members of the team to meet in Gainesville, when he was pulled over for speeding in St. Lucie County. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper discovered he had several outstanding warrants and arrested him. The rental car was towed because he was not listed as an authorized driver.
His four passengers were stranded 175-miles from home, and one of the students' parents arranged for state troopers to transport them to a nearby truck stop, where family members later traveled there and picked them up.
Miami-Dade Public Schools spokesperson John Schuster did not answers questions about Chambliss’ employment status Tuesday morning, but said, “I will have complete information for you later today.”
A parent of two of the athletes is alleging that school officials refused to assist them in getting the students back home.
School officials deny those allegations and said the trip was not a school-sanctioned event and was actually privately organized by Chambliss, with the parent's knowledge consent.
*Pictured above is former Homestead Senior High School assitant track and field coach Walter Chambliss.
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