Police investigating altercation that sent VTA bus driver to the hospital
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Police are investigating an altercation between a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority operator and a passenger that sent the driver to the hospital.
The driver sustained a black eye and broken nose, according to union officials.
The passenger was arrested.
The incident happened Monday evening at the Lockheed Martin Transit Center in Sunnyvale. Union officials said the altercation started when the VTA driver tried to wake a sleeping passenger.
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At some point the encounter moved off of the bus and escalated into a physical altercation.
Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies were called and arrested 44-year-old Juan Farias.
The driver was treated at the hospital and released.
"The safety of our operators and passengers is our top priority, and we have in place a lot of safety measures that ensure that including cameras on our transits as well as at our transit stations," said VTA spokesperson Marina Chakmakjian.
The transit agency said it will review video from cameras on the bus to determine if the incident was indeed an unprovoked attack.