By Tyler Clifford

(Reuters) – Texas authorities are on Friday searching for an inmate who escaped from a bus while serving a life sentence. He had stabbed a corrections officer and hijacked the car with others before fleeing after it crashed.

Gonzalo Lopez (46), was convicted in 2005 of attempted murder and murder of a officer. He fled to Leon County about 110 miles north Houston. It is thought that he is dangerously unarmed.

According to Robert Hurst, a spokesperson for Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the incident occurred when Lopez entered the bus driver’s compartment and attacked the officer driving the vehicle. Hurst didn’t know how Lopez got out of the restraints.

Hurst reported that the fight between Lopez and the driver ended in a brawl outside of the bus. Lopez tried but failed to take the firearm from Hurst. The inmate then got into the driver’s chair and began to drive away.

Lopez continued driving about one mile after Lopez crashed the bus. Lopez was then assisted by a police officer in a back compartment. Lopez was allowed to jump out of an emergency door.

According to the spokesperson the officers chased Lopez down the road and fired in his direction, as he was running across a cow pasture. The authorities are not sure if Lopez was shot.

On its journey from Gatesville prison to Huntsville, the bus carried 16 prisoners. Lopez had been scheduled for an appointment.

This incident occurs just days after an Alabama convict fled from a county prison with a female corrections officer, authorities stated. They were both captured by Indiana authorities on Wednesday. The officer, who had been shot in the chase, later died from her injuries.