Driving school’s license revoked as complaints accumulate

Parents allege services were not provided

Friday, June 20, 2008

Drive Safe Driving School, with offices in California and Huntingtown, lost its license from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration on June 9 because of ‘‘issues with the comptroller’s office” that caused it to no longer be in good standing with the state government, according to MVA spokesman Buel Young.

Parents of teenagers are fighting for refunds of deposits or payments for classroom instruction and driving lessons that never took place, they say, and local and state law enforcement officers are working on the case.

Patricia Kreuzburg of Chesapeake Beach enrolled her son, 19, in classroom and driving lessons with Drive Safe Driving School in April, but ‘‘Chris came home from school and said the class was cancelled,” she said. ‘‘I thought, well, they’re just going to send the check back. Lo and behold, a week later the check was cashed.”

Kreuzburg called both of Drive Safe’s offices, but after a while, no one answered the phone. Her last contact with the company, she said, was a phone call May 28 from owner Kenneth Lee, promising to mail her a check the next day to refund her $300 payment.

It never came, ‘‘and after that we never heard another word.”

Kreuzburg and her husband are among several families to file complaints about unreturned payments from Drive Safe, said Calvert County State’s Attorney Laura Martin. Her office is now conducting an investigation in conjunction with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement. The situation has been particularly urgent because it impacts the teenagers’ ability to get their training and driver’s licenses, Martin said.

Maryland State Police Trooper Alexander Schmidt with the Calvert Investigative Team said he is investigating the complaints but can’t yet comment on his findings. ‘‘There are numerous, well over 10 [complaints], and as far as that is concerned, the investigation is ongoing,” Schmidt said.

Lee could not be reached this week for comment, and the door to Drive Safe’s office of tables and chairs for classroom instruction in California was locked on Thursday morning. Ron Leonard, Lee’s landlord at an adjoining real-estate office, said the driving school’s instructors are qualified but unable to help the students.

‘‘The instructors there are good folks,” Leonard said. ‘‘They can’t do anything about these kids, because they’re licensed through this guy, ... and his license has been pulled. They’re hoping to start their own [school], and it will be run properly.”

Calvert County public schools have banned Drive Safe from using school facilities, said Jeff Walker, acting executive director of administration for the school system.

St. Mary’s public schools do not contract the services of any driver’s education instructors.

The College of Southern Maryland offers certified drivers education training, at each of its three campuses and in Calvert public schools.

‘‘We are providing assistance to students who still require behind-the-wheel hours of training or need to make up classroom time,” because of the Drive Safe situation, said Susan Ross, acting director of the college’s program.