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UPDATE: MTA Bus Driver Was Speeding When Articulated Bus Partially Fell From Overpass
By
Jen Chung
and
Stephen Nessen
Published Jan 15, 2021
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Marc A. Hermann / MTA
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By
Jen Chung
and
Stephen Nessen
Published Jan 15, 2021
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[Updated] An articulated NYC Transit bus crashed through the guardrails of an overpass in the Bronx late Thursday night, sending the front half of the bus falling 50 feet onto the Cross Bronx Expressway below. The driver and seven passengers were injured. Now, the MTA says that the driver was speeding.
The MTA’s preliminary investigation found the bus was making a turn going 17-26 miles per hour, when it should’ve been going 3-4 miles per hour.
The accordion-style Bx35 bus was traveling on University Avenue, and when the driver tried to turn left onto a ramp to the George Washington Bridge, he crashed through the barrier. The front of the bus hit the Cross Bronx Expressway below, with the back half still on University Avenue.
The driver and seven passengers were taken to hospitals; FDNY Deputy Chief Paul Hopper said, "We assessed and treated a total of eight patients from this accident. The bus fell approximately 50 feet onto the access road. The patients suffered injuries consistent with a fall from such a great height."
The bus was finally taken away at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. The FDNY said that they were making sure the fuel and hazardous materials were secured before removing the bus.
“The MTA’s goal is to have the safest transportation system in the nation, and when an incident like this occurs we take it very seriously," MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Patrick Warren said in a statement. "We are conducting a full investigation and will implement lessons learned in order to prevent it from happening again. We are certain this was a terrifying incident for those customers on the bus. Our hearts go out to them with hope that they can recover quickly.”
In a press conference on Friday afternoon, the MTA’s Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg said the driver passed an NYPD breathalyzer test at the scene. But later refused to take a federally mandated drug and alcohol test at the hospital.
“Which is extremely rare for someone not to cooperate with it, and obviously, extremely troubling,” Feinberg said.
The 55-year old driver, who wasn’t named, suffered a broken jaw. He’s worked at the MTA for 11 years.
The Transport Workers Union, which represents the driver, declined to comment.
The MTA does not believe there were any mechanical issues with the bus, but an investigation is ongoing. A black box, and two cameras recorded the incident and are being analyzed.
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nyc transit
cross bronx expressway
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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