Commandeered Bus Stops After Long Chase

A man seized a transit bus Friday and drove erratically along city streets and busy freeways, leading police on a 2-1/2-hour chase before he got off the bus and surrendered.

As the knife-wielding man took the wheel, he allowed the bus driver and a passenger to get off the bus, KGTV reported. The California Highway Patrol said the hijacker was the only person aboard during the 70-mile chase.

Footage from KGTV’s helicopter showed the bus careening through crowded intersections and along freeways with police cars in pursuit.

The hijacker surrendered at about 7:30 p.m. in suburban La Mesa.

“He just brought the bus to a stop, came out and laid down on the ground, and then the officers came up and took him into custody,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Phil Constantine.