An MTA bus driver is in critical condition and 12 others suffered minor injuries after a bus slammed into a pillar holding up an elevated subway line in the Bronx Thursday morning, according to the NYPD.
Authorities said the incident happened around 8:30 a.m. on Boston Road and East Tremont Avenue.
The bus driver, an employee of 14 years with a “good” driving record, was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, New York City Transit President Richard Davey said at a news conference later Thursday at the scene of the incident.
Twelve passengers aboard the bus, which included both adults and children, were transported to St. Barnabas Hospital and Jacobi Medical Center, where they were treated for neck and back pain and bruises, officials said.
Authorities said the driver was treated for cardiac arrest at the scene of the incident and that they were investigating whether the medical emergency happened prior to or after the collision.
When asked by later by a reporter, Davey said the driver, like all MTA employees, had completed a medical examination upon becoming an MTA employee, and continued doing so bi-annually.
Her most recent examination occurred six months ago, in January, Davey said, which she passed, and she had been cleared for work Thursday morning when she reported to a manager.
The driver’s sister, who is also an MTA bus driver, was made aware of the incident and pulled from her shift so she could be with her family in the hospital, Davey added.
“Her sister is also a bus driver. She’s part of this transit family. When we found that out, we pulled her off her bus and sent her to the hospital,” Davey said. “When I said it’s a family, it’s literally a family here.”
As for the structural integrity of the train pillar struck during the incident, officials said city engineers evaluated the infrastructure and deemed it did not sustain any damage.