Part of bus dangles from NYC overpass
A section of an "accordion" bus was dangling off a New York City overpass near the George Washington Bridge after the vehicle crashed late Thursday. Authorities said the nine people on board were brought to area hospitals and the bus was secured and was to be towed.
Police said the Metropolitan Transit Authority bus "failed to navigate" a turn on the Cross Bronx Expressway or suffered a brake failure. No other vehicles were involved.
Onlookers posted video of the scene on social media. It showed the rear portion of the bus sitting on the highway but the front portion hanging from the overpass.
FDNY units are on scene of a motor vehicle accident at University Ave and the Cross Bronx Expressway in the Bronx where a tandem bus has crashed through the barriers and is hanging off the overpass onto the roadway below. There are nine civilian injuries reported at this time. pic.twitter.com/00YQ897hhs
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 15, 2021
Video from University Ave and the Cross Bronx Expressway where FDNY members continue to operate on scene for a tandem bus that crashed through a barrier onto a lower roadway. pic.twitter.com/Q0Y0vW7WmT
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 15, 2021
The Fire Department said one of the injuries was serious, two were "non life-threatening" and the other six were minor. The Associated Press said the person seriously hurt was the driver.
CBS New York quotes MTA Bus Company President Craig Cipriano as saying, "Preliminary indications are that the bus operator was very helpful, very heroic, was able to help customers get off the bus to safety,"
Authorities said fuel and other hazardous materials would be removed from the bus before it's towed away.
The cause of the accident was under investigation.