Bus Driver Suspended After Being Beaten By Passenger
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- A veteran bus driver was suspended after he was an assault victim on his own bus.
Bus driver Ken Legler was beaten up by a passenger.
Legler said, "She hit me repeatedly and quite frankly I really was dazed."
He said he was a cop in Miami and Dania gut never got a beating like that.
"The police told me later she was over 220 pounds. She was powerful," said Legler.
He said Andea Jamison had a bus pass that was no good. Someone erased the ride dates and wrote in new ones so he kept the pass to call it in. As he continued driving, he was trying to get someone on the radio regarding the bus pass and that's when, Legler said, " she grabbed the wheel of the bus. She tried to drive the bus off the road and I was able to hold wheel on the road. She tried to get me into the bike lane but I kept it on the road. We were doing 45. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't steer it. She started punching me in the back of the head. Four of the passengers came forward and I was able to get the bus stopped."
About 25 people on the bus were tossed around. Jamison was arrested and charged with battery. Legler got suspended for five days without pay.
Broward transit cited the Rules and regulation book which say, "Drivers are to be courteous helpful and patient and avoid disputes." It also says, "If there's a problem with a bus pass, then bus operators are to ask the rider to surrender the pass. However, if the passenger refuses, allow him or her to retain the pass.
Broward Transit officials issued the following statement saying, "BCT is committed to the safety of both our customers and our employees. The incident that occurred on July 15, 2015, has been thoroughly investigated and processed as part of our standard disciplinary procedures."
Legler said he just wants this whole mess behind him.
"It's like a bad dream. I was trying to do my job the way I've done it for 28 years," he said.
The transit union president said they want Legler to get his five days of pay back and this removed from his record.
