CHICAGO (WLS) — A CTA bus driver escaped through a window after a man allegedly hijacked her bus at gunpoint and ordered her not to stop, according to police and the union representing CTA workers.
The incident occurred about 8:24 p.m. Tuesday in the 5400-block of South Pulaski Road in West Elsdon, according to Chicago police. Police said a man was traveling on a CTA bus when he pulled out a gun and demanded that the bus not stop. The victim, a 35-year-old woman, complied.
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Video from the incident shows a man waving a gun on a Pulaski route bus and demanding that the driver keep moving.
Keith Hill, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, said the suspect boarded the bus near Van Buren on Tuesday night.
“He didn’t pay his fare, just was acting hysterical,” Hill said.
Hill said the suspect appeared to be fleeing from others and repeatedly urged the driver to continue.
“Seemed to be being chased by or individuals might be pursuing him, so kept asking the operator to keep going, keeping going,” Hill said.
According to Hill, the bus continued south, with the incident stretching to 55th Street.
Video that has been widely shared on social media shows the driver escaping through a bus window. Hill said another CTA operator came to her aid.
“She hopped out the window, ran down the street, screaming and waving. Another operator saw her, picked her up, drove her to safety,” Hill said.
Police said that after the driver escaped, the suspect fled the bus and entered an unoccupied vehicle that had been left running. Officers later took him into custody and recovered a gun, police said.
No injuries were reported.
Police identified the suspect as Quentin Lewis, 36, of Chicago. He was charged with kidnapping while armed with a firearm; receiving, possessing or selling a stolen vehicle; aggravated unlawful restraint; and being a felon in possession of a weapon.
A judge ordered Lewis held in custody following a detention hearing on Thursday.
Hill said the incident reflects ongoing safety concerns among CTA workers.
“This is our everyday fear. You know? We pull up to a service stop; we don’t know what we’re picking up,” Hill said. “It’s getting to a point where we’re afraid to drive in the city.”
The bus driver and passengers were not physically harmed, but Hill said the driver remains shaken by the experience.
“She’s in fear. She’s a single mother. She’s a single mother who took a job to provide for herself and her family. With this type of violence and fear, how do you expect her to come back?” Hill said.
ABC7 Chicago’s Data Team found that violent crime on the CTA is down 25% from the annual average of the previous three years.
In a statement, the Chicago Transit Authority said it is cooperating with police in the investigation.
“The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) continues to work closely with the Chicago Police Department to support its investigation of this incident, including sharing available surveillance footage and other relevant information. We applaud their work to swiftly arrest the offender and will continue to support law enforcement officials’ efforts to ensure that the offender is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the agency said.
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Source: abc7chicago.com
