NJ Transit bus driver surrenders to face charges for lewd act

HACKENSACK, N.J. (WABC) -- There is shocking video of a local bus driver on the road and behind the wheel who was engaged in a lewd act and is accused of putting his passengers at risk.

The bus driver for New Jersey Transit is facing criminal charges and was removed from his job.

A passenger with a camera caught the driver, 41-year-old George Simpson of Newark, in the middle of Lincoln Tunnel traffic and in the middle of this lewd act.

WARNING: The video and information below on what he was doing is graphic.

"It's shocking, like looking at the video, what could you really say," said Tiason Pendarvis, a neighbor.

That was the reaction in Newark from friends of 41-year-old George Simpson Jr. who couldn't believe what they were seeing Thursday: this cell phone video of the bus driver masturbating, fully exposed, on a packed New Jersey Transit bus.

"You know the man needs help, to go out like that," Pendarvis said.

A horrified passenger took the cell phone video as the bus traveled from New Jersey through the Lincoln Tunnel.

"She noticed he was performing a sex act on himself," said Patrick Metz, an attorney.

Attorney Patrick Metz walked Eyewitness News through the cell phone video taken by his client as she commuted to New York City on a New Jersey Transit bus on June 25th.

"She was sitting directly opposite the bus driver in the first row of seats," Metz said.

It was the evening commute and the driver was entering the Lincoln Tunnel with a packed bus.

"She videotaped this why?" Eyewitness News investigative reporter Sarah Wallace asked.

"The outrage, the danger he was putting the other passengers in and the other commuters, it is unspeakable," Metz said, "She's showing the other cars around. As you can see the walls of the tunnel are on the left side. And he's continuing all the way through the tunnel totally exposed."

Metz continued, "Now you can see he reaches for a handiwipe to address the situation."

Friday, Simpson surrendered to face charges of lewdness, reckless driving, for taking his hand off the wheel, and risking widespread injury or damage. He was released on bail Friday night.

"You know this is something really bad, because it's a loaded bus, and there were a lot of people that were on there," said Angel Cordero, a neighbor.

A NJ Transit spokesman said: "We again offer our sincerest apologies to anyone who may have witnessed this unacceptable incident and would reiterate that the actions of Mr. Simpson do not reflect the dedicated, selfless contributions made each and every day by New Jersey Transit's hard-working employees.

"It's really a great job that he's putting on the line, it's a great job he has, had, basically, yeah," Cordero said.

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new jersey, lincoln tunnel, sex, sex crime, new jersey news, sarah wallace

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