Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Transit bus stolen
By Chris Kitching, SUN MEDIA
Quote:
City police will be poring over surveillance tapes today to identify a man who stole a Winnipeg Transit bus early this morning.
Police said the theft happened when the man became unruly on board the bus during its final stop at northbound Main Street and James Avenue about 2 a.m.
A handful of passengers exited, except the man, who was asleep at the back of the bus. He was awakened by the driver, a 48-year-old man, and told he had to get off at the downtown stop in front of the Centennial Concert Hall.
The man told the driver he wanted a ride to a specific location, possibly giving an exact address, but the driver told him it wasn’t going to happen, police said.
That’s when the man became aggressive and at one point spat at and shoved the driver, police said.
Fearing for his safety, the driver got off the bus. The man then jumped into the driver's seat and drove off, leaving the driver behind on the sidewalk.
“It certainly appears the driver did the right thing by not putting himself in jeopardy ... and trying to remove himself from the situation,” said police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen.
No other passengers were aboard, police said.
The bus was found a short time later near Main Street and Mountain Avenue in the North End, police said.
Police said the suspect boarded the bus at Corydon Avenue and Kenaston Boulevard in Tuxedo and may have been intoxicated.
No one has been arrested. The driver engaged the bus’s emergency brake before the incident, so the vehicle may have some brake damage, police said.
It doesn’t appear the bus was involved in any collisions during the joyride, police said.
Police said the male suspect is white, in his late 20s, and has brown hair and is balding. He was wearing a three-quarter length brown winter jacket, white T-shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information about the theft or the suspect’s identity is asked to call Division 11 detectives at 986-6668 or Crime Stoppers at 786-8477.
Late last year, the city began installing video surveillance systems on all transit buses.
|
Must have been from the older stepped buses like the 300, 600 or the 800 series because WT hasn't installed surveillance cameras on them yet.
Aren't the buses supposed to have some kind of "secret switch" to disallow moving the bus so that low-lifes like this guy can't steal the bus in the first place?
Also the reporter claims that Corydon @ Kenaston is in Tuxedo, where in fact it is still part of River Heights. Tuxedo's boundary begins on the western side of Edgeland (gee, I wonder why they called it Edgeland back then?).
Prev
Linear Mode
