Stolen truck crashes into NYC bus, kills driver

NEW YORK – A New York City bus driver was killed when a stolen truck slammed into the bus he was driving in Greenwich Village early Wednesday morning, reports CBS New York.

According to police, the crash occurred around 5:30 a.m. in downtown Manhattan, when a box truck ran a red light and broadsided the bus driven by 49-year-old William Pena of Hillside, N.J.

Pena, who was ejected from the MTA bus, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect, identified by a police source as 22-year-old Domonic Whilby, was found unconscious in the truck. He was hospitalized.

The New York Daily News reports that Whilby is the nephew of model/actor Tyson Beckford. Instagram photos taken hours before the accident show the suspect partying with his famous uncle and supermodel Shanina Shaik.

Whilby had been ejected from a hotel after passing out, and was aggravated when he couldn’t find a limousine that he expected to take him home, according to the Daily News.

The truck belonging to "18 Rabbits Granola" was reportedly on 16th street with its engine running when it was stolen.

After colliding with each other, both the bus and the stolen truck smashed into scaffolding in front of a building. A pedestrian, a passenger on the bus and a coffee cart operator were all also injured.

Fellow bus operators remember Pena as a stand-up guy.

“He was a very kind person to all of us,” said MTA bus driver Steve Pierre. “We’re all saddened and we’re all hurt right now.”

“He was a great guy, every way you can put it,” said brother Alex Pena.

Pena was a 17-year veteran of MTA New York City Transit. He becomes the first bus driver killed in a collision in over 14 years, according to the MTA.

“The entire MTA mourns the tragic loss of Mr. Pena, especially his colleagues,” said MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas F. Prendergast in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Pena’s family.”

Pena is survived by his wife and teenage daughter.