A man armed with a fake gun hijacked an MTA bus in Queens early Thursday — and crashed the vehicle into a utility pole after the driver jumped out a window a few blocks later, according to police.
Authorities say the suspect ran in front of the Q4 bus holding what appeared to be a firearm at 199th Street and Linden Boulevard in Cambria Heights around 7:30 a.m. and boarded the bus. The driver then opened all the doors to let the roughly two dozen passengers off, and they escaped, leaving the bus driver alone with the hijacker, officials said.
Cops said the hijacker made statements about being chased and ordered the driver to keep driving. He did, for another 30 or so blocks, cops said.
Once the bus neared 232nd Street and Linden Boulevard, the driver jumped out of the driver’s side window and the hijacker leaped into the driver’s seat. He grabbed the wheel and started driving, officials said.
The hijacker only made it a block or so before he crashed into a utility pole between 233nd and 234th streets. The 44-year-old suspect got off the bus, which was crushed under the pole, and was taken into custody across the street, police said. The bus driver who jumped out the window was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
No injuries were reported to any passengers on the bus, though the fallen utility pole triggered power outages for dozens of customers in the area.
Charges are pending against the suspect, who also was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, officials said. His name has not been released. The weapon was recovered. Police said it appeared to be a BB gun.
They shared a photo of it at the news briefing (below).
News 4 This is the imitation pistol the 44-year-old suspect used to hijack the MTA bus in Queens, police said.
A top MTA official said the agency was thankful no one was seriously hurt in the chaos and said the bus driver had been with the MTA for 21 years. He was said to be at the hospital with MTA management and union representatives into the early afternoon hours. No details on the nature of his injuries were immediately available.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who was on the bus or has additional information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.