Bus hijacked at knifepoint in Omagh: 20-mile police chase ends in Strabane arrest

A man in his 30s was arrested after hijacking a Translink bus in Omagh and holding the driver at knifepoint during a 20-mile chase along the A5.

Translink bus seized at knifepoint in Omagh, suspect held after lengthy pursuit

A man in his 30s has been arrested after hijacking a bus in Omagh and threatening the driver with a knife, the Daily Express reports. The incident began shortly before 1pm on Saturday in the Beltany Road area of Omagh, Co Tyrone, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The suspect, believed to be armed with a knife, allowed passengers to disembark before forcing the driver to continue towards Newtownstewart. Videos circulating on social media appear to show a Translink Goldliner bus travelling at speed through a residential area with a police car in pursuit.

The chase covered nearly 20 miles along the A5, passing through Victoria Bridge and Sion Mills, before the bus was brought to a stop in the Head of the Town area of Strabane.

Detective Inspector Winters said: "The bus was eventually stopped in the Head of the Town area of Strabane and the man, aged in his 30s, was removed from the bus and subsequently arrested. He remains in police custody at this time."

One man was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries. The Fountain Street and Drumallagh areas of Strabane remained closed in the aftermath of the incident, with police urging members of the public to avoid those roads.

Officers also confirmed a number of collisions involving the hijacked bus had been reported, including one involving a police car and damage to property.

Detective Inspector Winters appealed for witnesses: "Officers are appealing to anyone involved in a collision or to anyone with footage that could assist with enquiries to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 624 12/09/26."

Source: Daily Express