3 die as buses collide at New York City intersection

<p>The Fire Department of New York says one person is dead and seven others are severely injured after a city bus and a tour bus collided in Queens.</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 18, 2017, 4:13 PM

Updated 2,404 days ago

Share:

NEW YORK (AP) - A city bus and a tour bus collided and spun around in a New York City intersection on Monday, leaving three people dead, including a pedestrian, officials said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was shocked by the "sheer destruction," and noted that "one of those who was lost was simply walking down the sidewalk" as the crash came "out of nowhere."
The pedestrian was killed along with the tour bus driver and a passenger on the city bus. Sixteen other people were hurt, some of them seriously, in the crash at 6:15 a.m. in the Flushing, Queens neighborhood, city officials said at a briefing.
A building that houses a number of retail stores, including a fried chicken restaurant, also sustained a "very substantial" impact, and experts were working to make sure it was secure, de Blasio said.
The hospitalized city bus driver was being interviewed by investigators, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota said.
Though the investigation has just begun, "These buses spun around. That requires an enormous amount of speed," Lhota said.
"We want to make sure we understand what happened and prevent this from ever happening again," Lhota said.
Signage on the tour bus showed it was from the Dahlia Group, Inc., based in Flushing. A person answering the phone there declined to comment; there was no immediately response to an emailed comment request.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show that a Dahlia bus was also involved in a fatal crash in Connecticut in February 2016.
One of the company's buses was driving through a snowstorm to reach the Mohegan Sun casino when it overturned on Interstate 95 in Madison, east of New Haven. Thirty-six people were hurt in addition to the person who died.
The company's drivers have been cited several times over the past 12 months for safety violations, including failing to obey a traffic control device, speeding and unlawful parking in the roadway.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


More from News 12
2:00
Coney Island NYCHA residents weigh funding options to make building repairs

Coney Island NYCHA residents weigh funding options to make building repairs

2:08
Early-morning patchy fog, cool and cloudy weather for Friday

Early-morning patchy fog, cool and cloudy weather for Friday

1:09
Park Slope eatery boasts 'adults only' rule

Park Slope eatery boasts 'adults only' rule

2:04
Health care workers, community hold prayer to call for SUNY Downstate to stay open

Health care workers, community hold prayer to call for SUNY Downstate to stay open

1:47
Brooklyn students present their social justice solutions on varying issues in national competition

Brooklyn students present their social justice solutions on varying issues in national competition

2:02
Doody’s Home Center announces its closing

Doody’s Home Center announces its closing

1:51
Vendors rally to demand accessible vendor licenses and permits after DSNY crackdowns

Vendors rally to demand accessible vendor licenses and permits after DSNY crackdowns

2:11
Bronx Zoo celebrates 125 years of bringing joy to New Yorkers

Bronx Zoo celebrates 125 years of bringing joy to New Yorkers

2:05
Police: 2 men wanted for stealing $2,000 from Bay Ridge store at gunpoint

Police: 2 men wanted for stealing $2,000 from Bay Ridge store at gunpoint

1:58
Explore the seasonal flora and fauna unique to Prospect Park in Brooklyn

Explore the seasonal flora and fauna unique to Prospect Park in Brooklyn

0:25
Police: Person of interest in custody following bomb squad investigation in Midwood

Police: Person of interest in custody following bomb squad investigation in Midwood

1:44
Dyker Heights elementary school students send letters and care packages to at-risk military veterans

Dyker Heights elementary school students send letters and care packages to at-risk military veterans

0:24
NYPD: Man walks into East Flatbush hospital, dies from gunshot wounds

NYPD: Man walks into East Flatbush hospital, dies from gunshot wounds

0:23
Man hospitalized following brutal stabbing in Brownsville, police say

Man hospitalized following brutal stabbing in Brownsville, police say

0:23
Spring Arrival: Hummingbirds heading to New York

Spring Arrival: Hummingbirds heading to New York

1:34
NYPD says new campaign has lowered crime citywide; some New Yorkers don’t buy it

NYPD says new campaign has lowered crime citywide; some New Yorkers don’t buy it

2:18
Landlord battling pancreatic cancer fighting to evict squatter

Landlord battling pancreatic cancer fighting to evict squatter

2:10
NYS Federation of Taxi Drivers offer $5,000 reward after string of carjackings and robberies

NYS Federation of Taxi Drivers offer $5,000 reward after string of carjackings and robberies

2:09
Federal civil rights complaint filed against NYC Public Schools Athletic League

Federal civil rights complaint filed against NYC Public Schools Athletic League

1:37
Affordable housing projects coming to Boerum Hill

Affordable housing projects coming to Boerum Hill