This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 12:22 PM- A Greyhound bus passenger took his fellow riders on a potentially deadly detour in Utah County Sunday when he grabbed the steering wheel and swerved into oncoming traffic on Interstate 15.
Jared Franklin, a 27-year-old passenger traveling home to Arizona, demanded an emergency stop in Provo about 9:30 a.m. The driver refused, saying Franklin would have to wait for the bus' designated stop.
Instead, Franklin kicked through the Plexiglas barrier surrounding the driver and took the bus' route into his own hands.
He later told police that he believed the passengers were conspiring against him. He believed one had a gun.
"He thought everyone on the bus was in a plot to kill him," said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Tracy Jorgensen.
The Greyhound bus, traveling about 65 m.p.h. south of University Parkway in Orem, veered across the highway median, struck a cable barrier and lurched to stop in the fastlane of northbound I-15.
The passenger then sprang from the vehicle and ran to an industrial area on the west side of the highway, where police later arrested him, authorities say. He left a small cardboard box on the bus with his belongings and identification, Jorgensen said.
Police booked Franklin into the Utah County jail on suspicion of hijacking a bus. He also may face charges of reckless driving, authorities say.
The other 15 passengers were delayed for more than an hour, but no one was hurt. Jorgensen said the outcome could have been much worse, especially if more vehicles were on the road.
"We're just lucky it was Sunday," he said.
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