A group of sightseers suffered injuries after a tour bus accident in New York City this past week. The individuals were part of a group of roughly 20 people riding a double-decker tour bus through Manhattan’s Upper East Side. At around 1:15 in that afternoon on July 21st, the bus driver somehow lost control and the massive vehicle veered off the road, jumped the curb, and smashed into a tree at the corner of 63rd Street and Fifth Avenue.
Eyewitnesses reported that the front bumper of the tour bus was literally wrapped around the trunk of the tree and the vehicle’s windshield was blown out. The force of the collision was so powerful that one construction worker at a jobsite across the street said the ground literally shook beneath his feet. Tourists on the upper deck of the bus suffered the worst. Some of them actually flew over the seats in front of them.
When rescue crews arrived they found several good Samaritans on the scene already helping the wounded. Most of the victims suffered cuts, bruising, and scrapes. In total, 15 people were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, including a 71-year-old man and 71-year-old woman with unspecified head injuries. All were expected to be released.
Eyewitnesses gave conflicting versions about the cause of the accident. GO New York, the company that operates the tour bus, released a statement saying, in part: “We adhere to and comply with the federal and state guidelines on vehicle and driver safety.”
In light of the horrific bus accidents that have taken over the recent years, no doubt the authorities will be looking into this latest New York City tour bus accident. The injured passengers can look to recover compensation from all the responsible vehicles involved in the accident.
If you’ve been injured in a tour bus accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Speak, without obligation, with one of the expert New York City bus accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel. Call or 212-385-1122 today.