east new york

Man Allegedly Steals School Bus, Leads Police on Wild Chase in Brooklyn

It all unfolded around 1:45 p.m. Thursday in East New York

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What to Know

  • Police in Brooklyn chased a man who allegedly stole a school bus in Brooklyn Thursday and took it on a wild ride before it came to a crashing halt.
  • Investigators said that after the bus was stolen, it smashed into a number of cars throughout the neighborhood. The number of cars and extent of damage they sustained is currently unclear.
  • The man who allegedly stole the bus was finally taken into custody. Charges are pending.

Police in Brooklyn chased a man who allegedly stole a school bus in the area Thursday and took it on a wild ride before it came to a crashing halt.

According to investigators, a school bus with the name "Hoyt Transportation" on the side was allegedly stolen at around 1:45 p.m. It was around this time that police responded to a call of a located stolen school bus in the vicinity of Jackie Robinson Parkway. When officers arrived, they allegedly observed a parked school bus with a man inside. When the officers tried to enter the bus, the man allegedly began to resist. Police say that officers unsuccessfully deployed a Taser and the man fled in the bus.

Luckily, there were no kids on board when this took place.

Investigators said that after the bus was stolen, it smashed into a number of cars throughout the neighborhood. The number of cars and extent of damage they sustained is currently unclear.

Police say the bus came to a stop after striking multiple parked vehicles and finally hitting the front of a building located on East New York Avenue. However, the man allegedly fled again, striking yet another vehicle heading eastbound on Atlantic Avenue. EMS responded to this scene and removed the motorist that was struck on Atlantic Avenue to an area hospital for minor injuries.

Police chase for a man who stole and then crashed a school bus in Brooklyn. Adam Harding reports.

The bus again fled after the Atlantic Avenue crash, and came to rest in the vicinity of Georgia Avenue and Sheffield Avenue, where the alleged driver, Anthony Reyes, was taken into custody, police said.

A witness said that it all "happened so quickly."

Video from the scene shows the bus with significant front-end damage as debris was scattered throughout the street.

Reyes faces charges of grand larceny, reckless endangerment, forgery, unauthorized use of vehicle, criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and leaving the scene of an accident with injury.

It was not immediately known if Reyes retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

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