Driver Of Car May Have Suffered Medical Condition Prior To Crash With SEPTA Bus
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia Police have provided an update on Friday's SEPTA bus crash (see previous story).
According to police, a 2011 white Mazda traveling westbound on Vine Street in the left lane ran a red light at 11th Street and struck the Route 23 SEPTA bus, which was traveling north on 11th Street.
The bus then jumped the curb, striking a traffic signal and three unattended parked cars in a church parking lot before coming to a stop.
"Somebody called me and said, 'Oh, your car, somebody crashed into it,'" said Lena Tan, an assistant at the church.
Police say the impact point was the front right side of the bus' front door area.
Twenty of the 30 passengers on the bus were transported to area hospitals. Two of the three juveniles on the bus suffered minor injuries.
The 57-year-old female bus driver was being treated at Hahnemann University Hospital.
"He might have banged his head against a window," explained Inspector Steven Harold. "...So it was a substantial injury, and it was a substantial impact to the vehicle."
The 25-year-old driver of the car is also being treated at Hahnemann. Eyewitness News has learned the driver of the Mazda may have suffered from a medical condition prior to the crash.
Meanwhile, relatives and friends of passengers on the bus were searching for their loved ones.
"I'm calling around, and nobody seems to know...where she is," said Jerome Mills, who was looking for his child's mother.
Police say an investigation into the crash is ongoing.