3 subdue rowdy bus passenger


By Brent Whiting and Carlos Miller
The Arizona Republic
April 10, 2002


A rowdy passenger surprised a bus driver Sunday night by grabbing the steering wheel and trying to stomp on the brakes as the bus sped along Interstate 17.


The Las Vegas-bound Coach USA bus, traveling at 65 mph, came dangerously close to the edge of the interstate near Black Canyon City, waking several sleeping passengers.

Within seconds, three men leaped from their seats and pulled the man off the driver.

"I looked up and saw his hands on the wheel," said Jermaine Lewis, 27, a wide receiver for the Louisiana Rangers, a National Indoor Football League team. "I just stepped up on the seat and lunged forward. I grabbed his arm and the other guy grabbed his neck.

"We just all fell back and the bus finally came to a rolling stop about a quarter-mile later."

Police arrested Stanley Cunningham, 39, of Las Vegas, and booked him on 32 counts of endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct.

Cunningham is in a Prescott jail, said Sharon Wachter, a spokeswoman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

The bus was on I-17 just north of Black Canyon City when Cunningham tried to take control, Wachter said.

The driver, Salvador Saavedra, 37, told authorities that Cunningham tried to grab the steering wheel and slam on the brakes.

As Saavedra struggled with Cunningham, Lewis, Robert Gillum, 28, of Spokane, Wash., and Jeremiah Whittle, 27, of Kermit, Texas, jumped in, Wachter said.



Includes information from 12 News.

Chalk one up for the good guys!

Glad they took him out before they got to Vegas, we've got enought crazies here as it is![whacko]