A 30-year-old man has been arrested after a bus was allegedly hijacked at knifepoint in Omagh on Saturday afternoon. The man is believed to have kept the driver on board
A man, aged 30, has been arrested after a bus was hijacked at knifepoint in Omagh on Saturday afternoon.
Police were alerted just before 1pm to reports of a man hijacking the Translink Goldliner 273 Derry Express service in the Beltany Road area of the town. The hijacker let passengers off the bus but kept the driver hostage as he scarpered towards Newtownstewart.
Police gave chase along the A5 through Victoria Bridge and Sion Mills until the vehicle was finally halted in Strabane. The bus had smashed into several other vehicles during the pursuit, including a police car, and damage was also reported to a property, reports BelfastLive.
Detective Inspector Winters stated: “Shortly before 1pm, police received a report that a bus had been hijacked in the Beltany Road area of Omagh.
“The man, believed to be armed with a knife, allowed the passengers to leave the bus, however kept the driver on board before making off in the direction of Newtownstewart.
“A pursuit ensued along the A5 through Victoria Bridge and Sion Mills. The bus was eventually stopped in the Head of the Town area of Strabane and the man, aged in his 30s was removed from the bus and subsequently arrested.
“He remains in police custody at this time. One man has been taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries.
“The Fountain Street and Drumallagh areas in Strabane remain closed at this time and the public are asked to avoid the area.
“A number of reports of collisions involving the stolen bus and other vehicles, including a police car and damage to property have been received at this time and officers are appealing to anyone involved in a collision or to anyone with footage that could assist with enquiries to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 624 12/09/26.
“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”
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