12 people injured when bus, car collide in West Baltimore
Drivers of both vehicles in serious condition; injuries aren’t life-threatening
A dozen people were injured Friday in a crash involving an MTA bus in West Baltimore, police said.
Baltimore police said a citizen alerted an officer to the crash at North Bentalou Street and est. North Avenue around 1:30 p.m.
A preliminary investigation determined that the bus was traveling southbound on N. Bentalou and a blue Acura washeading west on North Avenue when the two vehicles collided in the intersection, police said. The collision caused the bus to strike another vehicle and a bus shelter on the sidewalk.
When the Fire Department arrived, several bus passengers were on the ground, Fire Chief Roman Clark said.
The drivers of both the bus and the Acura were taken to a trauma center, where they were in serious condition with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, Clark said.
Ten passengers suffered minor injuries, five people refused medical attention and others who were involved in the crash wandered off, Clark said.
MTA spokesman Paul Shepard said it appeared that the bus “was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“We are obviously concerned for all involved. We are just happy at this point if there are no life-threatening injuries,” Shepard said.
“It appears that the blue Acura went through a red light and hit our bus, which had the green [light],” said Shepard, adding that it appeared that the bus driver tried to avoid the Acura.
Shepard said he didn’t have any information about the bus driver, but emphasized that MTA drivers involved in collisions undergo routine tests. Shepard said MTA police are investigating.
A female driver and male passenger of a silver SUV that appeared to have been sideswiped by the bus declined to be identified. The two, who said they were Coppin State students, said they were at the stoplight when the bus came down North Bentalou during a green light. They said the bus appeared to lose control while trying to avoid the Acura.
The couple said the bus hit their vehicle, which made it spin. Both left the scene around 2:30 p.m., saying they were headed to the hospital to get examined.
Darlene Jackson, who lives off Bentalou Street, said she heard a “boom” during the crash and came outside to see what happened. Jackson and her granddaughter said they’re both accustomed to accidents at the intersection and in their neighborhood, where many cars speed through.
“It happens every day,” she said.