Pre- dawn bus collision in Baltimore kills six
10 hurt, but no kids in school vehicle that hit commuter bus
A school bus roaring down a dark Baltimore street slammed into a commuter bus Tuesday, leaving at least six people dead and 10 injured, police said.
No children were on the school bus, police spokesman T. J. Smith said. The fatalities included the school bus driver and five people on theMaryland Transit Administration bus, including the MTA driver, he said.
The school bus was traveling eastbound shortly before 7 a. m. when it struck a Ford Mustang from behind, careened into a pillar outside a cemetery and then crossed into oncoming traffic, slamming into the commuter bus, Smith said.
“It basically ripped the entire driver’s side off” theMTA bus, Smith said. “It literally looks like a bomb exploded in the bus, and it is catastrophic damage.”
A large section of the driver’s side of the commuter bus was smashed in, and the front of the school bus was demolished. The Mustang also appeared severely damaged.
Smith said it was too soon to speculate on the cause of the crash. He said a second person on the school bus, an aide, survived and might be able to provide more information to investigators. Smith said there were no skid marks on the road, indicating the school bus driver might not have attempted to brake.
A medical examiner will attempt to determine whether the school bus driver suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash, Smith said. He declined to provide further details on the victims.
“We have six families that we have to notify that their loved ones aren’t coming home,” Smith said.
Eight people on the commuter bus, the school bus aide and the Mustang driver were transported to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical, Smith said.
Five of the injured were taken to the University of MarylandMedical Center.
Deb Stein, chief of trauma, said one of the patients was in critical condition, one was in serious condition and the rest were stable.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said “every resource” from the police and fire departments was working the scene.
“Folks who are on a bus at this time of the morning are working folks,” Davis said. “They are on their way to make a living, on the way to jobs, on the way to support their families. Our hearts and prayers go out to them and their families.”