Man accused of trying to hijack UTA bus, assaulting driver

A man faces a first-degree felony after he allegedly assaulted a Utah Transit Authority bus driver and tried to hijack the vehicle.

Keith Sterling Frandsen, 26, was arrested for multiple offenses, including bus hijacking, a first-degree felony.

Documents state Frandsen was on a bus in Davis County on Wednesday when he inhaled a chemical from a can of compressed air.

After inhaling the "psycho-toxic chemical" Frandsen allegedly told the bus driver to stop the vehicle, then grabbed his arm and sprayed him in the face with the compressed air.

"The driver and passengers exited the bus while Keith remained on the bus and sprayed a fire extinguisher in the interior of the bus," arresting documents state. "Keith then attempted to hijack the bus as he tried to drive it."

When Frandsen discovered he would not be able to drive the bus, he got out of the vehicle and was met by police.

During his interactions with police, Frandsen allegedly threw his phone at the officer's face, tried to burn the officer with a small pocket lighter, broke the officer's radio and resisted arrest.

Eventually, Frandsen was taken into custody and booked into jail, where he is being held without bail.

Arresting documents state the arresting officer sustained minor cuts and scrapes in the interaction.

Frandsen's arrest comes less than a week after another man was arrested in Salt Lake City for allegedly trying to hijack a UTA TRAX Train and assaulting a bystander.