Port Authority Bus Driver Involved In Bridge Collapse Was Supposed To Be Off Work Friday
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The man behind the wheel of the Port Authority bus that tumbled to the ground when a bridge collapsed wasn't even supposed to be working Friday.
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Daryl Luciana told KDKA Radio that he was supposed to be off, but picked up the shift so he could get some overtime. Just after 6:30 a.m., the bus and several other vehicles fell when the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh's east end, sending them to the ground near Frick Park.
"I was trying to keep bus under control. I was trying to come to a stop. It looked like the back end of the bus was being held up by part of bridge," he said.
Luciana said it was still dark and he couldn't see in his mirror. He said he kept trying to hold the brake on, and he wasn't sure if he was sliding back or not.
"It was actually still dark and it felt like it was a lot of banging and bumping," he told KDKA's Amy Wadas. "I have one of those 60-foot buses, so the back end of the bus was probably bouncing around as well, and just finally came to a stop. I guess I didn't realize until later on that I was probably 10 or 12 feet from going over the ravine."
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Fortunately, Luciana wasn't seriously injured, nor did anyone suffer injuries from which they won't recover.
"I watch those shows all the time -- bridges and disasters. My wife and I like to watch them. I never thought it would be me," he said.
Luciana told KDKA that he went to Jefferson Hospital's emergency room to get checked out, but Allegheny Health Network said he hadn't been admitted yet.