Man Arrested for Commandeering
Houston School Bus

HOUSTON - "The driver just made some excellent choices," said Bonnie Russell, executive general manager of transportation services at Houston Independent School District, after a man was arrested for allegedly hijacking a school bus with no students onboard.

Roslyn Randle, a 25-year veteran driver, was set to begin her morning route on March 1 when a bare-chested man acting erratically in the roadway approached her bus. Russell said Randle at first attempted to change lanes to avoid the suspect, but the man blocked the bus' path.

"He actually came to the bus entry door and pounded on it, but she refused to open it," Russell said.

The suspect then climbed on the bus hood and began kicking at the windshield. He proceeded to climb on the bus roof and made his way to the escape hatch. Randle was in contact with dispatch the entire time, Russell added, and law enforcement officers were immediately notified of the situation. As Randle made her way down the aisle to ensure the hatch was closed, she heard the alarm sound when the suspect used the outside escape handle. Russell said Randle immediately exited the bus and was taken in by a fellow motorist who noticed the bus stopped in the middle of the roadway.

"She attracted attention by activating the loading lights before the guy entered," Russell said.

The suspect began driving away, and the bus driver and her motorist Good Samaritan followed the bus and called police to report the bus' location. Russell confirmed the bus was not equipped with GPS.

Police apprehended the suspect after he backed the bus in a ditch and the vehicle became stuck. He fled into a nearby apartment building that the local media reported was home to his father. Once in custody and in the back of a police cruiser, the man kicked out the windows before being transported to jail.

Source: School Transportation News, April 2006. All rights reserved.