Some people who decided to take a bus home from St. Patrick’s Day festivities were subjected to a traffic crash anyway when an SUV crashed into the bus around 4 a.m. Sunday. Five people were injured when the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Bus was hit.
The Route 42 bus was headed east when it was struck by an SUV that police said ran a red light at an intersection. The SUV broadsided the bus, whose driver lost control and struck a tree and at least eight parked cars. The SUV also struck a car after hitting the bus, likely totaling it.
Many of the bus riders had fallen asleep after a long night of St Patrick’s Day partying. They were jolted awake by the sound and impact of the crash. At least five people were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The driver of the SUV was protected by an air bag and suffered no injuries.
St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday typically celebrated with large amounts of drinking, and many cities in Pennsylvania planned to have extra police patrols on the roads that night to watch for drunk drivers. The crash between the SUV and the bus are still being investigated, so it’s unknown whether the driver was intoxicated when she allegedly ran the red light. But for the bus passengers who decided to play it safe by taking public transportation home, the crash was a rude awakening. Those who were injured in the collision may choose to file a personal injury suit against the driver of the SUV if she’s found to have broken the law in causing the accident.
Source : ABC Action News, “5 injured in SEPTA bus, SUV crash,” Dann Cuellar, March 18, 2012