NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man hijacked an MTA bus in Queens on Thursday morning, forcing a bus operator on a chaotic ride through the streets that ended when the driver jumped out a window and the out-of-control bus crashed into a utility pole, cutting power to residents in the area.
The 44-year-old suspect ran in front of an eastbound Q4 bus near 197th Street and Linden Boulevard in St. Albans just after 7:20 a.m., NYPD Deputy Chief John Clune said at a press conference.
The man was acting "erratically" and appeared to have a firearm in his hand, so the bus operator immediately opened the doors to allow all of the passengers to exit—a move praised by police, who said up to 25 passengers were on board.
The man told the operator that he was “being chased” and directed him to continue driving. The bus traveled for more than a dozen blocks before the operator jumped out of the driver’s side window near 232nd Street and Linden Boulevard in Cambria Heights just after 7:35 a.m.
The man hopped over the partition into the driver's seat in an attempt to take control of the bus, but the vehicle quickly crashed into a utility pole midblock between 233rd and 234th streets.
The suspect was apprehended by responding officers, who found an imitation pistol believed to be a pellet gun on the bus, police said.
Both the bus operator and the suspect were taken to area hospitals to be treated for minor injuries. Police said the bus operator is a 21-year veteran of the MTA.
Video shows the utility pole toppled over onto the bus. Police said residents were without power for several blocks in each direction off Linden Boulevard.
A spokesperson for Con Edison confirmed that the crash took down a transformer, which disrupted service to some residents.
Con Ed said dozens of customers were without service in the area, which could translate to hundreds of people. Service was expected to be restored Thursday.
Children at a school near the bus crash were also sent home. All of them are safe, police said.
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