LAS VEGAS (AP) – The driver of a Las Vegas-bound Greyhound bus who was stabbed by an unruly passenger near the California border said his assailant possibly was under the influence of drugs, according to authorities.
Nevada Highway Patrol officials say 31-year-old Armando Juarez was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder with a deadly weapon and taken to a hospital for evaluation late Friday night.
There was no immediate update Sunday.
The 55-year-old bus driver, whose name hasn’t been released, told authorities that he was dealing with an unruly passenger who appeared to be under the influence of something.
The driver said the passenger was standing next to him on the bus, threatening him with a knife, according to authorities.
It’s still unclear where Juarez got on the bus, but preliminary information indicates Juarez is a transient from California.
The incident occurred about 11 p.m. Friday, when the bus was northbound on Interstate 15 near Jean, Nevada – about 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the California border.
Authorities said the driver was stabbed outside the bus after he pulled over while trying to get the passenger to either get off or sit down in his seat.
The wounded driver got back on the bus, shut the door and reported the stabbing to a Greyhound dispatcher.
He was stabbed twice in the chest and once in the thigh and was taken to University Medical Center with serious, but survivable injuries, according to Highway Patrol officials.
Witnesses said Juarez got off the bus, ran across the interstate to the center median and was seen stripping off his shirt and trying to punch passing cars, Highway Patrol officials said.
A replacement driver was driven to the scene and drove the bus and its 23 remaining passengers to Las Vegas.
The injured driver apparently didn’t receive any help from passengers during the scuffle outside with Juarez.
“It seemed like he was just fending for himself,” Trooper Jason Buratczuk, a Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman who wasn’t at the scene, said Saturday. “It was just very quiet (on the bus) during the incident.”
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