Lawyers for man charged with murder in MTA bus driver's death reject plea deal

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Lawyers for a man accused of killing an MTA bus driver while behind the wheel of stolen truck rejected a plea deal in Manhattan court Thursday.

Dominic Whilby, who is actor and model Tyson Beckford's nephew, is charged with the second-degree murder, manslaughter and DWI in the death of 49-year-old William Pena in the February 2014 crash.

Police say Whilby was drinking at a bar before he stole a delivery truck in Manhattan and crashed into the bus on 14th Street in Greenwich Village around 5:30 a.m.

Relatives and co-workers of the victim were at the hearing. Pena was a bus driver for 17 years.

Whilby, of Griffin, Ga., was taken into custody and treated for non-life threatening injuries at Bellevue Hospital. He reportedly had a 0.18 blood alcohol reading, twice the legal limit.

At his funeral, Pena was remembered as the kind of driver who cared about his passengers, talked to them, even inspired them.

"A guy was down on his luck, Pena gave him $300," co-worker Donald Yates said. "Which the guy came back a later time and returned the money."

Whilby did not actually appear at the hearing. The case is adjourned until May 4, and details of the rejected deal were not made public in court.