RANDOLPH, MASS. (WHDH) - A Boston man accused of repeatedly punching a bus driver in Randolph and causing a crash that sent 16 people to the hospital Monday night has been ordered held without bail.
Mathew Young, 24, appeared Tuesday in Quincy District Court on several charges, including assault and battery on a bus driver, and wrongful interference of operation of a vehicle carrying passengers for hire.
He has a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Monday.
Officers responding to a report of a fight and a crash near the intersection of North Main and Grove streets around 7:15 p.m. found the 48-year-old Brockton Area Transit Authority bus driver blocking Young as he screamed, “Let me off the bus,” according to prosecutors.
“The defendant stated that he was shouting because he was upset and had anxiety,” Prosecutor Meredith Underwood read in court.
Young had been on his way to visit a friend in Randolph when he asked the driver to pull over.
“He stated that due to him not knowing the area he requested to get off the BAT bus on North Main Street,” Underwood read. “After multiple times requesting for the bus driver to stop the bus, he approached him and stated, ‘If you don’t stop the bus, I will punch you in the face.'”
The victim reportedly told officers that he tried to explain to Young that he could not make unscheduled stops.
Young then punched the driver several times in the face, causing a crash that sent multiple passengers, including a 10-year-old boy, to the hospital with minor injuries, police said.
“The defendant admitted to the officer that he punched the bus driver in the face,” Underwood continued. “After he did that, unknown passengers on the bus took him to the ground and that’s when the bus crashed.”
The bus struck a utility pole before hitting a red Honda.
The driver and a passenger described a furious scene.
“He was just angry … no question about it,” said Hakim Harris, who was on the bus with his 13-year-old daughter. “He’s yelling … really whaling on the guy.”
“I was out! I don’t know if he punched,” Pierre said, speaking from the hospital. “Somebody could’ve been killed.”
The 50-year-old driver of the car and her 61-year-old passenger were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
North Main Street was temporarily closed while crews worked to clear and investigate the crash.
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