A freak accident involving a Metro bus, a runaway dump truck and a BMW injured at least 17 people on Tuesday Morning, Oct. 23, 2012, at about 8 a.m., in Hollywood. The bus was carrying 25 passengers.
The driver of the BMW was taking her 10 year old daughter to school when the chain reaction crash occurred – apparently out of the blue. The event started when a runaway, unmanned dump truck went out of control, wildly rolling down a hill, striking a bus heading west on the 7600 block of Hollywood Blvd.
The bus driver apparently tried to avoid the dump truck and swerved into eastbound traffic. That’s when the bus crashed into the BMW sedan. The force of the crash pushed the sedan back some distance. The collision between the BMW and the bus created an extremely dangerous situation for everyone, especially the driver of the car. She was trapped in the car for at least twenty minutes before being freed by firefighters.
The driver of the BMW was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Her injuries included a broken left leg. Fortunately, her daughter was able to free herself from the vehicle and sustained only minor injuries.
Also injured was the bus driver, who was listed in fair condition. Many bus passengers were taken to the hospital for examinations and treatment of minor bruises. Some passengers sustained cuts from exiting through the shattered emergency windows.
