A terrifying real-life scene from “Speed” played out in downtown Los Angeles early Wednesday when a crazed hijacker took over a city bus and forced the driver to career through the streets at gunpoint for over an hour.
One passenger was killed, and another passenger and the driver were rescued after LAPD’s SWAT team stormed the bus and took the gunman into custody.
The chase started around 1 a.m. after officers received reports of a Metro Transit Authority bus flashing “CALL POLICE 911” on the outside display — a message activated by an on-board panic button, the Los Angeles Police Department told reporters.
When the cops found the bus stopped on the street, the hijacker stuck a gun in the driver’s face and ordered him to hit the gas.
The hour-long chase finally ended when cops used spike strips to shred the bus’ tires, KTLA 5 reported. The hijacker barricaded himself inside, but a SWAT team bombarded the bus with flash bangs, nabbed the suspect, and rescued the driver and a passenger.
Police found another passenger on board suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, LAPD said.
The motive for the bus-jacking remains unclear, but witnesses said an argument broke out between the driver and the suspect before he pulled the gun.
Several passengers were able to escape before the chase began, according to KTLA 5.