Get Outta Da Way!!

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7062460

CROWN HEIGHTS (WABC) -- Eyewitness News has obtained dramatic video of an out-of-control New York City bus barreling down a Brooklyn street, crashing into cars and weaving a path of destruction. Six passengers on that bus had to be treated for injuries after the crash. The incident happened in Crown Heights. The security video plays like a expensive Hollywood crash scene, but this was the real deal.

Andrew and Arthur Blaise own the Essence Bar, and it was their mounted surveillance camera that captured the dramatic moments of the crash and, perhaps more critically, the seconds before the bus plowed into six cars before hitting at least four more on busy Atlantic Avenue. New York City Transit's Initial Investigation found that it wasn't the bus driver's fault. Officials say the whole thing started with a car coming to an abrupt halt in front of the bus. The driver then swerved to avoid coming in contact with that car, hitting all the other parked cars before continuing into the intersection and hitting another car. But the tape shows a number of cars slowing to a stop before the intersection. A white SUV can be seen stopping, and a white car behind it also comes to a halt before the bus slams into it. The bus hit with such force that two of the cars struck burst into flames, sending drivers leaping for safety and passerbys rushing to help. Storeowner Zolfed Ceman says the line of cars waiting at the light on Troy Avenue usually backs up right in front his new store, Action Distributors. He estimates the bus was traveling too fast to stop safely in time.

Any bets on the driver texting???

Wait, it wasn't the bus driver's fault, but it says the driver in front of the bus came to an abrupt halt. I dunno how other driver's ed classes went, but we were taught to leave a safe distance between ourselves and the car in front to avoid such circumstances. Sounds like the ticket for the bus driver would read like "Failure to stop within an assured distance" At least that's what was written on the one I got when I was 17.

I would love hear Wally's thoughts on this.

Causes a crash and STILL gets workers comp? What a great scam!!!

Car cut him off, driver missed brake, hit accelerator? I sure didn't see the bus slow down at all, even on the sidewalk. Even with the drag of crashing into cars...

Legal disclaimer. I am NOT speaking on behalf of any gov't agency or or authority. These are the possibly drunken ramblings of someone who may have participated in the investigation of serious accidents and has worked for the agency in question for almost ten years.

All I know for sure about the accident is what we saw in the video. Thank God for the video tape. There was also an article in the paper this morning, and much like the news report accompaning the video, it is of questionable accuracy.

The news reporter says that someone from the company said that the driver was not at fault. That person had no business doing so. Noone with half a brain is going to speak to anyone about a pending investigation especially one with so many potential lawsuits and someone probably losing their job. Did someone with an MTA patch speak to a reporter? Probably. Do we know who? No. It may have been a union rep, it may have been a subway cleaner on his way to work that had no idea what was going on.

The article in the paper claims a stuck accelerator. It could be possible I guess. This was one of our new hybrid buses and if the pedal is down they pull like a freight train. Anytime i've seen one fail it has been a dead pedal but I don't know everything. Another possibility which has happened on previous buses is that the pedals are too close together and he may have been hitting both pedals together. I know from experience that if that happens you will accelerate untill you can get your fat foot out from between the two pedals. He may also have been not paying attention or having medical issue and didn't try too stop until it is too late. Someone has got the information from the black box and is comparing it to that video to find out which is the case.

As far as the workers comp claim I'm sure his back and neck hurt, and he went to the hospital, but nobody gets their money without a fight. even if it was a stuck accelerator and he is blameless the company will fight tooth and nail to deny his claim until he gets a lawyer, which will eat up most of what he gets anyway. I have never seen anyone have an easy comp claim, even when it should have been cut and dry.

In all seriousness, I do hope that everyone is ok- passengers in the bus, driver, and the drivers in the cars. Accidents are no fun.

Just fun to make fun of....

E-

Being that I've never been to NYC,... I thought all New Yorkers drove like that...No?

RossD wrote: I thought all New Yorkers drove like that...No?

Sure they do, I know because I saw it on some British TV show.

I always had fun with New Yorkers when I used to drive a truck into the city. They all think they own the road.. until faced with 36,000 pounds. I wonder how many people got ON the bus after the accident claiming to get hurt?

The driver of the silver Taurus sure hauls a$$ outta that wreck, and doesn't look back. hmmmmm.

mad_machine wrote: I wonder how many people got ON the bus after the accident claiming to get hurt?

Happens all the time. I went to an accident where a truck took the side mirror off a parked bus. While the driver was calling it in two people sat down and claimed injury.

this one is from Mother Russia...

Move it

All anyone wants to do is complain. "my bus is late" "It smells like pee in here" "hitting the other cars hurt my back"