Sorry to hear, but this sounds like you friend's fault. How does he really knows that driver took these devices? Maybe he lost them somewhere else (he was intoxicated, after all) or maybe the next passenger took them? If this has happened in a bus, would you blame a bus driver too?
There were 4 of them out that night. And the driver closed for the day to hang with them.
After he dropped them, they realized the devices were still in the car, and immediately tried to reach him. And he never picked up.
Well, he never pursued the issue further and left it at that.
I've had some rather good experiences e.g. where the driver called me, and brought back the stuff to me after he was done at the end of the day and refused to take any money as a reward.
