SEPTA probes hitting incident aboard a Route 57 bus

SEPTA police were investigating an incident in which a bus driver was recorded throwing liquid on a female passenger and hitting her during a dispute, an agency spokesman said Sunday.

The incident, aboard a Route 57 bus, happened about 8 a.m. Friday on Rising Sun Avenue near Duncannon Street in Olney, said Andrew Busch, SEPTA spokesman.

The video depicts the driver walking toward a young woman, dousing her with what appears to be water from a plastic bottle, and hitting her twice in the face. The video posted on Facebook does not show what prompted the encounter, but Busch said investigators believe it began as a fare dispute.

SEPTA police have interviewed the driver but have not identified the female involved. "We definitely want to talk to her and would urge her to reach out to SEPTA police," Busch said. The driver was not named and no charges had been filed against him Sunday night. - Jason Laughlin