Pualski CTA bus hijacked at knifepoint with passengers on board in Logan Square

A CTA bus was hijacked and the driver held at knifepoint and made to drive for miles with other riders on board overnight, Chicago police said.

Police said just after 2:30 a.m. a man on a #53 Pulaski route CTA bus pulled out a knife and told the bus driver not to stop driving.

At some point the driver, a 57-year-old woman, was able to get the other passengers off the bus, according to a preliminary police report, but the man continued to hold her at knifepoint and forced her to drive another seven miles.

Police said the driver was eventually able to escape by crawling out a window.

The man fled, but was taken into custody a short time later, police said.

No injuries were reported and charges are pending. 

The CTA released a statement, writing,  "he Chicago Police Department is CTA's primary law enforcement partner, and it was their swift actions that led to the immediate apprehension of the person responsible for the incident. According to preliminary information, there were no reported injuries. The CTA will be working in close coordination with local law enforcement to assist the investigation. We are committed to ensuring that felony upgrades are aggressively pursued in this case."