SEPTA bus driver, four passengers hurt in Schuylkill Expressway crash

A SEPTA bus driver and four riders were hurt Wednesday morning when a Route 125 bus slammed into a concrete barrier on the westbound Schuylkill Expressway in Philadelphia, several local outlets reported. All five were said to have injuries that were not life-threatening.

Outlets put the time of the crash at about 8 a.m. near Montgomery Drive, though their accounts differed slightly. CBS Philadelphia said it took place a few minutes before 8, while NBC10 said it was after 8. CBS Philadelphia located the scene close to where traffic enters from Montgomery Drive, a short distance south of the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. Matt Pellman, a traffic reporter for 6abc, said the wreck sat between Montgomery Drive and Roosevelt Boulevard.

According to the bus driver's account, a passenger vehicle collided with the bus and sent it into the barrier. FOX 29 attributed that version to a SEPTA spokesperson, NBC10 to SEPTA officials, and 6abc said the operator described it to police. FOX 29 noted that SEPTA offered no details about the second vehicle.

A SEPTA spokesperson told CBS Philadelphia that the driver had a facial laceration and that the four riders were brought to a hospital for minor injuries. FOX 29 said it remained unclear how serious the injuries were.

Helicopter video from 6abc showed the bus at rest in the center lanes, with a second vehicle pulled off to the side. The station said the windshield and the bus's left side appeared damaged. CBS Philadelphia reported that workers took out the windshield as a tow truck prepared to haul the bus away.

Several lanes were closed at the height of the commute, according to CBS Philadelphia. 6abc reported westbound delays of close to two hours, with stopped traffic on I-76 extending back to Passyunk. The station said drivers on the westbound Vine Expressway heading back toward I-95 south also faced long waits.

A SEPTA spokesperson told FOX 29 that police are looking into the crash, and NBC10 reported that SEPTA described its own inquiry as ongoing. No outlet reported any charges or citations, and officials had not announced a cause.

Compiled by True News from reporting by CBS Philadelphia, FOX 29 Philadelphia, 6abc Action News and NBC10 Philadelphia. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/312