PHOENIX?A Greyhound bus that was traveling at 70 mph rolled over onto its side early Sunday as the driver struggled with a passenger who was angered when he was told he couldn’t smoke. The wreck injured 33 people, one critically.
No other vehicles were involved.
Charles George of Phoenix, was taken into custody and charged with 37 counts of aggravated assault, said Steve Volden, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
George, who is about 40 years old, was unarmed, Volden said.
“We believe there was some mental instability we were dealing with,” Volden said. “He didn’t make any overt statements about wanting to hijack the bus or doing anything in the name of religion. It appears he was acting independently.”
The bus was on a cross country route from Los Angeles to Miami. The struggle occurred around 1 a.m. during the Phoenix-to-El Paso leg of the trip about 50 miles south of Phoenix.