That attack caused the driver to lose control of the bus while transporting passengers from Los Angeles through Arizona.
Morris, who was a passenger on the bus, suddenly attacked the driver and grabbed the wheel. The bus was traveling eastbound along Interstate 10 near the town of Tonopah when the attack occurred. Tonopah is about 50 miles west of Phoenix.
During the attack, other passengers intervened in the assault as the bus traveled through the desert median. The driver and other passengers were able to gain control of Morris and stop the bus just six feet from oncoming vehicles that were traveling in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10. The speed limit in that area is 75 miles-per-hour.
After the struggle, Morris and his girlfriend ran into the desert only to return 30 minutes later. Morris was arrested by Highway Patrol Officers with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) and transported to the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.
Of the 46 passengers on the bus, 24 were transported to various hospitals in the Phoenix area. Three were taken by air ambulance to St. Josephs Hospital, including one of the passengers who intervened in the attack.
Harquahala Fire District Chief Dan Caudle told KPHO-TV that one of the passengers “basically went berserk in the bus and grabbed control of vehicle.”
DPS recommended the following charges for Morris: 47 counts of endangerment, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of criminal damage. Morris’ booking number is T047552.
Morris’ girlfriend, who was with him on the bus at the time of the attack on the bus driver, remains a cooperative witness and is not in custody.