Angry passenger douses bus driver with coffee

[February 26, 2009]  LOWELL, Mass. (AP) -- Police said a bus passenger angry about a possible strike that would disrupt his commute threw a cup of hot coffee on the driver, then ran away with the driver in pursuit.

The Sun of Lowell reported that Debra Kemp, a driver for the Lowell Regional Transit Authority, told police the passenger was upset by a newspaper story about a possible drivers' strike.

Police Deputy Superintendent Deborah Friedl said the man then doused the driver with his coffee at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday and took off.

Kemp abandoned the pursuit, told her dispatcher about the incident, then finished her route before notifying police and seeking medical treatment. She was not seriously hurt.

Friedl said the suspect has not been caught and apparently was not a regular passenger.

[Associated Press]

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