Three adults have been injured after a school bus collided with a car and careened into a shop-front in Brooklyn on Thursday morning.
The incident occurred at about 6.10am in the Flatbush district of Brooklyn, at the intersection between East 21st Street and Church Avenue, according to local authorities.
According to the initial reports of the accident, a school bus was driving through the intersection when a white four door Toyota ran a red traffic light and hit into the back of the bus. Both the car and the bus veered out of control after the accident, with the bus mounting the curb and smashing into a storefront, while the car crashed into the side of a car parked on the edge of the road.
Three adults, including both drivers and another passenger on the bus, were injured in the incident. There were no school children on the bus at the time, as the bus was still on its way to collect children from their homes. All three of the injured individuals were taken to Kings County Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center, where they were treated for minor injuries. Two of the injured have already been discharged, while the other remains in a stable condition.
The identities of the victims of the accident have not yet been released.
A spokesperson from Fisherman’s Cove restaurant, the storefront into which the bus crashed, has said that the buildings department will be called in to assess the amount of damage caused to the store and the structural integrity of the building. It remains to be seen who will be liable to pay for the damages incurred to the restaurant and to the vehicles involved in the accident. The bus also knocked down a five foot tall green metal fence in the collision.
Although eye witness reports suggest that the driver of the Toyota was at fault in the accident, local police authorities will be conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and will release an official accident report. It remains to be seen whether the owner of the school bus, the other vehicle damaged in the accident or the proprietors of Fisherman’s Cove restaurant will be pressing charges against the driver of the Toyota.
If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident such as this one, there is help available. Contact a specialist bus accident lawyer today and they can assess whether you have a case, and help you with legal proceedings.