A horrifying scene from the movie “Speed” came to life in downtown Los Angeles early Wednesday morning when a crazed hijacker took control of a city bus, held the driver at gunpoint and sped through the streets for more than an hour.
One passenger was killed, and another passenger and the driver were rescued after Los Angeles Police Department SWAT teams stormed the bus and took the gunman into custody.
The pursuit began around 1 a.m. after police received a call about a Metro Transit Authority bus flashing the message “Call 911” on its exterior display, the Los Angeles Police Department told reporters. The message was activated by a panic button inside the bus.
When police found the bus parked on the road, the hijacker pointed a gun at the driver's face and ordered him to step on the accelerator.
The hour-long chase finally ended when officers used spike strips to slash the bus's tires. KTLA 5 reportedThe hijacker barricaded himself inside the bus, but SWAT teams attacked it with flashbang grenades, arrested the suspect and rescued the driver and passengers.
Police found another passenger on board the plane with multiple gunshot wounds, and the victim was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The motive for the bus hijacking is unclear, but witnesses said an argument broke out between the driver and the suspect before the suspect pulled out a gun.
Several passengers were able to escape before the chase began, according to KTLA 5.
