ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Police have arrested a man they say was drunk when he carjacked a DASH bus and crashed into another car.
According to a release from the Alexandria Police Department (APD), officers were called to the intersection of Quaker Road and Duke Street just before 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.
When officers arrived, they found a DASH bus and another car stopped following a collision in the roadway.
Officers claim 33-year-old Lorenzo Johnson was drunk when he carjacked the DASH bus and hit the other car while driving away.
DASH buses are fare-free public buses in Alexandria. The bus was out of service at the time of the carjacking, according to officials.
Police took Johnson into custody upon arrival. He faces several charges, including, grand larceny auto, drunk in public, driving while intoxicated, accident hit and run property damage.
No weapons were found following the crash and police say injuries have been reported.
The Alexandria Transit Company, the agency behind DASH buses, says the bus was out of service and no passengers were on board during the incident.
The agency applauded the DASH driver's actions, saying they worked swiftly to notify police and overpower the perpetrator to safely stop the vehicle after the crash.
"We are grateful and proud of his heroic actions ensuring there were no injuries as a result of this crime,” said Josh Baker, General Manager and CEO of the Alexandria Transit Company. “We are conducting an internal investigation to ensure no such incident may occur in the future and intend to pursue charges against the perpetrator of this crime.” “We cannot comment further on this matter due to the pending charges, however, I want to assure our riders and the Citizens of Alexandria that DASH maintains safety as our top priority and will immediately implement any recommendations resulting from our investigation that may help to ensure such an act cannot be committed in the future.”
The Lyft driver was parked by the corner of First Street in Southeast when two individuals were captured on his dashcam video trying to carjack him, police say.