A man with a BB gun hijacked a NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority bus in Queens, New York, during Thursday’s morning rush hour commute, and subsequently crashed the bus into a utility pole shortly after the bus driver leaped out of the bus to save himself.
Surveillance footage showed the 41-year-old suspect frantically flagging a bus down in Cambria Heights but to no avail. At around 7:30 am, he ran in front of another bus holding what looked like a gun at 199th Street and Linden Boulevard and boarded the Q9 bus. He then hijacked it, using what the police later found later to be a BB gun.
The bus driver then opened the doors to free almost two dozen passengers and waited until all of them escaped before he started driving. Luckily, none of the passengers sustained any major injuries.
The bus driver started driving with only him and the hijacker left in the vehicle. The suspect told the driver that he was being chased. The bus driver drove for about 30 blocks, and when he neared Linden Boulevard and 232nd Street, the driver brazenly jumped out of the window on his side, leaving the suspect alone in the bus.
The hijacker quickly got into the driver’s seat, grabbed the wheel, and began driving the bus.
Unfortunately for him, he could only navigate the bus for a short while before the huge vehicle crashed into a utility pole and caused a huge explosion, which left many people frightened and many without electricity.
Although no one was hurt from the explosion, the driver suffered minor injuries from his jump. Police took him to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and released.
Luis Alzate, Interim President of the Bus Drivers Union, said the driver had landed on his finger when he jumped out of the moving bus. He said the driver had serious cuts on his finger.
Alzate, who had spoken to the bus driver, said he told him he kept reliving the moment in his head and that the passengers’ safety had been his priority. Alzate called him a hero for his brave actions and for ensuring the passengers were all okay.
According to Alzate, the hijacking brought to light the need for more security measures to ensure the safety of bus drivers.
Frank Annicaro, Vice President of the MTA bus department, said they were thankful that none of the passengers or the bus driver suffered any serious injuries from the incident. He said the bus driver was a department veteran and had been driving for the department for 21 years.
Jerry O’Sullivan, New York Police Department Chief, praised the driver for staying calm in a stressful situation and being brave enough to let all passengers out of the bus when he thought the suspect had a real gun.
The police later identified the suspect as Dwayne Gaddy, a 41-year-old Queens resident. Police took him to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. Gaddy, later arrested by the police, faces several charges, including unlawful imprisonment, illegally possessing a weapon, reckless endangerment, and menacing.