(Associated Press) -- A transient was booked on suspicion of murder Tuesday for allegedly stabbing a Greyhound bus driver in the neck with a pair of scissors, causing a crash that killed two passengers.
The bus, heading from Los Angeles to San Francisco, flipped on its side Monday evening and slid into a field off Interstate 5 near Fresno. It was carrying 50 passengers.
The suspect, Arturo Martinez, 27, was held on two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Authorities said they did not know of any motive.
“He has told us several stories about why he did what he did,” sheriff’s Lt. Margaret Mims said. She said authorities were checking to see whether drugs, alcohol or mental problems played a role.
Martinez boarded the bus in Los Angeles. After a dinner break in Coalinga, about 70 miles from Fresno, he rose from his seat shortly before 9 p.m., walked briskly up to the driver and attacked him. The driver survived.
“It happened very quickly. He immediately stabbed the driver, too quickly for the passengers to take action on their own,” Mims said. She said the driver “struggled, tried to defend himself and lost control of the bus.”
Two women were crushed to death, said Fresno sheriff’s Capt. Carlos Mestas. Their identities were not immediately released.
Authorities caught Martinez as he tried to run away.
Greyhound Lines spokeswoman Lynn Brown said 26 passengers and the driver were taken to hospitals. Two people, including the driver, remained hospitalized Tuesday at a Fresno hospital, where they were listed in fair condition.
Alfredo Saravia, a passenger from suburban Los Angeles, said the attack awakened him.
“The people in the front, when they saw, they tried to stop the guy, but he already had the driver. Everything happened in seconds,” he said. “The bus started tumbling and went off the road and started flipping.”