Six passengers — including some children — on board a city bus involved in an accident, are injured.
They were hurt when the driver of the bus, for some unknown reason, lost control and slammed into several cars.
It happened in Crown Heights. Eyewitness News Reporter Jeff Pegues is there with late details.
It was a terrifying ordeal for a lot of people. One passenger on board that bus told us that there was widespread panic on the bus and that some passengers stepped over each other to get off that out of control bus.
Six city bus passengers injured in crash
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Six passengers — including some children — on board a city bus involved in an accident, are injured.
They were hurt when the driver of the bus, for some unknown reason, lost control and slammed into several cars.
It happened in Crown Heights. Eyewitness News Reporter Jeff Pegues is there with late details.
It was a terrifying ordeal for a lot of people. One passenger on board that bus told us that there was widespread panic on the bus and that some passengers stepped over each other to get off that out of control bus.
A tow truck led the MTA bus away from the scene Thursday night. The corner of Rutland Road and Albany Avenue now looked more like a junk yard: banged up cars up and down the sidewalk.
Earl Crookendale, witness: “I just heard the noise of the bus and I see the people jumping through the windows and stuff.”
Jeff Pegues: “But did you see your car getting hit?”
Crookendale: “No, all I see it like this.”
Crookendale’s Jag absorbed the brunt of the collision when the bus slammed into it. It all happened at about 6:45 as it pulled up to the bus stop here.
Investigators say the bus driver lost control crashing into as many as six cars before finally coming to a stop.
On board the bus, passengers panicked.
Edward Downing, passenger on bus: “We couldn’t open the back door or front door because they had it blocked up against a car and then everyone all jumped out the windows.”
Authorities don’t know why the bus driver lost control of the vehicle. Sources tell Eyewitness News that he did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol.
So MTA investigators will also look into whether there was a mechanical problem with the bus.
Paul Fleuranges, MTA spokesperson: “The bus operator will be taken in for drug and alcohol testing, which is routine, and we’ll take the investigation from there … we’ll investigate the bus and see what happened.”
40 passengers were on board the bus at the time of crash. Six passengers were injured; their injuries are said to be non-life threatening.
