MTA Bus Driver Stabbed, Slashed In The Face Near Prospect Park: Cops

BROOKLYN, NY — An MTA bus driver was stabbed and slashed in the face by a passenger in Brooklyn on Tuesday, according to police.

The attack unfolded on a shuttle set up to help with a planned Q train outage when a passenger boarded near Flatbush and Ocean avenues near Prospect Park just before 12:30 a.m. and got into an argument with the driver, according to MTA officials and police.

As the fight escalated, the passenger stabbed the 39-year-old driver in the stomach and slashed him above his eye, police said.

Details about what started the dispute between the driver and passenger remained unclear Tuesday afternoon. Police said the driver had confronted the passenger about not paying the fare, but MTA officials said the fight likely had a different cause given the shuttle was free.

The driver was taken to Methodist Hospital in stable condition after the attack, according to police.

The attacker fled the bus and was last seen heading east on Empire Boulevard on foot, according to police.

There were no arrests as of Tuesday morning.

MTA officials said they were sending video of the incident from onboard cameras to police. The incident highlights the need for more protections for transit workers, which MTA officials had called for state lawmakers to institute this year, officials contend.

"We are working closely with investigators who are determining the facts of this incident," a spokesperson said. "Violence against transit employees or riders is never acceptable which is why we worked so hard in Albany to pass a new assault protection bill.”