The suspect attempted to take the wheel of the bus
According to court documents, the man accused of causing the Greyhound bus crash traveling from California to Tennessee was allegedly exhibiting strange behavior that caught the attention of other passengers and the bus driver just hours before the suspect attempted to take the wheel outside of Tonopah. The wreck left three with serious injuries and 20 others with minor injuries.
Maquel Donyel Morris, 25, made his first appearance after the accident to answer allegations that include assault and endangerment. Morris was immediately taken into custody after the accident and doctors were holding him for psychological evaluation.
Morris’ girlfriend, Bryanna Moore, 20, told investigators he had used methamphetamine earlier in the day.
Morris was acting strangely before the bus crash
According to court documents, passengers told bus driver Ray Cunningham that Morris was acting strangely at the beginning of the trip.
Officials say that Morris told Cunningham there would not be an issue when Cunningham stopped in Quartzsite to speak to him.
But about an hour later, Morris “kicked open” the door into the driver’s compartment, yelling that he wanted off the bus. At that point Morris tried to take control of the steering wheel, according to Cunningham. Cunningham then banged on the window in an attempt to get the attention of the passengers and said, “I need help to get this guy off me or he’s going to crash the bus.”
One of the passengers riding in the front of the bus told police he saw the struggle between Morris and Cunningham and heard Morris say, “I’m going to flip this (expletive).”
The bus went off the road into the median separating eastbound and westbound traffic and then continued travelling for about 500 yards.
23 Passengers Injured in Bus Crash
23 passengers were transported to hospitals, three of which had to be airlifted to St. Joseph’s Hospital. There were 50 people riding on the bus, including Cunningham and Morris. One of the passengers was an infant.
Police say Morris was screaming and shouting, “help me” at car passing by the scene and that he continued to scream while being put into the patrol car. According to the documents he also said there were guns in both the car and bus.
Morris was being held on a $150,000 bond. The bus incurred about $10,000 of damage.
Personal Injury Attorneys PLLC
Website
