NEW YORK — A man hijacked a bus in New York City on Thursday morning before crashing it into a utility pole, police and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said. No passengers were on board at the time of the crash, and no one was seriously injured.
The suspect, identified by police as a 44-year-old man, stopped the bus as it was driving down a road in Queens and claimed he was being chased. After boarding, he pointed what appeared to be a pistol toward the driver, who subsequently pulled over and let all of the 20 to 25 passengers off the bus.
Police said the man told the driver to keep the bus moving. The driver then jumped out of the driver's side window, and the suspect took the wheel.
The bus crashed less than a block later, police said. Both the driver, who is a 21-year veteran, and suspect were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
Police said during their investigation they found the supposed weapon on the bus, which turned out to be a BB gun.
"I definitely want to commend the driver for his actions," Deputy Chief Jerry O'Sullivan said during a Thursday afternoon press conference. "He did not move the bus until everyone was off that bus, and then he continued traveling eastbound on Linden Boulevard."
Hundreds of people in the area lost power after the crash, as did a nearby school, according to CBS New York.
Charges against the suspect are pending, officials said. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
"We're very thankful that there were no serious injuries to passengers or our bus operator," MTA Department of Buses Vice President Frank Annicaro said Thursday afternoon.