An MTA bus driver was slashed in the arm Thursday as he tried to fend off a man who attempted to steal his necklace after boarding the bus near Lincoln Center in Manhattan, transit officials say.
The man boarded the M72 bus at Riverside Drive and West 66th Street at about 7:15 a.m. and attacked the 56-year-old driver, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. It wasn't clear what the man used to slash the driver as he defended himself.
The driver was taken to a hospital in stable condition with what was described as a "minor" cut to his right forearm, authorities said. The man who attacked him remains at large, according to police.
It wasn't clear if passengers were on the bus at the time of the attack, nor was it known which route the bus was traveling.
"Bus operators are assaulted three times a week on NYC streets," TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen said in a statement. "The job is unbearably dangerous and difficult. Where is the outrage from the mayor and NYC Council regarding this plague affecting MTA bus operators?"
There was no immediate comment from the city on the attack.
