3 suspects arrested after stolen SUV crashes into MARTA bus

Three people who tried to elude police crashed an SUV into a MARTA bus in southwest Atlanta on Thursday morning, officials said.

Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said officers arrested Tyreke Daniel, 18, Richard Branford, 20, and a 16-year-old after the incident. AJC.com does not publish the names of minors being charged as juveniles.

Tyreke Daniel (left) and Richard Branford

Police spotted the carjacking suspects near the 2800 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive just before 11:30 a.m., police said. Daniel is accused of being the driver.

They hit a MARTA bus with the stolen white Dodge Durango while trying to drive away, police said. All three were taken into custody after trying to run away.

According to Channel 2 Action News, nearly 20 people were on the bus. Some told the news station they flew out of their seats upon impact and suffered minor injuries.

Police also confirmed to Channel 2 that an officer’s gun accidentally went off right after the crash. No details were provided.

Police also said they found two stolen guns and stolen property on the suspects.

Daniel faces 10 charges, including four felony weapon possession charges, two counts of theft, one count of hit-and-run, reckless conduct, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and obstruction, according to jail records. Branford faces an obstruction charge. The charges the 16-year-old faces have not been provided.

Daniel and Branford remain in the Fulton County Jail without bond, as of Thursday night.