Pregnant Woman Hospitalized After Being Attacked for Refusing to Give up Bus Seat

A pregnant woman in Pennsylvania was attacked after she refused to give up her seat on the bus, Police said.

At about 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, on a Market-Frankford Line Night Owl, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) bus near 8th and Market streets, in Philadelphia, the woman was punched in the face and slammed to the ground by a man.

According to NBC affiliate WCAU on Monday, police arrested a man on suspicion of punching the pregnant woman in the face after refusing to give him her seat.

A SEPTA spokesperson told the network: “Police said the suspect approached the woman, who was seated, and demanded that she give her seat to him.

“When she refused, he punched her in the face and pushed her, then fled.”

The bus driver notified transit police, following the assault. However, the suspect had already fled by that time.

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries; SEPTA informed the network.

The woman was two months pregnant at the time of the attack, said the transit agency.

SEPTA riders told 6ABC that they were not shocked the attack happened; however, the riders were still disturbed over the assault.

Donica Wilson told the network: “It definitely makes me feel more nervous. I just bought pepper spray the other day just to make sure I’m safe because I do ride it pretty often.”

Rachel Matthews said: “I kind of purposefully pick where I sit. I try to keep my back against walls just to make myself feel a bit safer.”

223.5 million passengers made trips using the service, according to the 2020 SEPTA operating budget. The total passenger miles exceeded 980 million in that year, it said.