60-year-old DDOT bus driver beaten by teens, robbed of $7

A Detroit Department of Transportation bus driver was beaten and robbed of $7 by a group of teens after he pulled over to pick them up.

It happened at Seven Mile near Lasher on the city’s west side when the 60-year-old bus driver, who is a veteran, was on his route early Thursday morning. At about 5 a.m. he made a stop at the bus stop here off Seven Mile near Trinity Street.  

The group of five or six teens boarded the bus and according to the police report – they started attacking the driver.

We are told the assault, then continued outside the bus onto the sidewalk with the man taking blows to his body, leaving him cut up and bruised.  Then the teens took his wallet. Inside he had just $7, his veteran's ID card, and his license.  

He was taken to Sinai Grace hospital but released a few hours later, and is now off the job recovering.

Video of the attack from bus cameras is being reviewed – but hasn’t been released.  

The director of transit, for DDOT, Mikel Oglesby, insinuated in a statement to us – that the driver broke policy – saying in part:

"All drivers are provided training and it is DDOT policy that drivers remain behind their protective barrier and request support through dispatch if any incidents begin to arise.

"We are in the process of investigating the matter to establish a complete picture of the altercation and what led up to it."

Late Friday afternoon – Detroit police told FOX 2 that there was an arrest made in the case. A 17-year-old and 14-year-old boy are in custody at the Youth Detention Facility, while the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office makes a charging decision.

Crime and Public SafetyDetroit