A CTA bus became entangled in a calamitous crash on the Near West Side after a black Infiniti sedan running a red light struck it, causing the bus to ram into a fence and an apartment building. The collision, which occurred around 5:40 p.m. near the 2200 block of West Washington Boulevard, injured at least five bus passengers who were subsequently whisked to hospitals in the area, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
The aftermath of the crash was a scene of disarray with a fallen traffic light lying atop the hobbled bus. Fleeing the scene on foot, the occupants of the sedan disappeared into the urban labyrinth, but not before one was snagged and arrested by authorities, as ABC7 Chicago reported.
Despite the chaos, the structure struck by the careening bus stood unscathed. Justin Garcia, a local who found the bus had barely missed his car after returning from fetching a pizza, expressed his shock to ABC7 Chicago: "We just were going to get pizza, come home, watch a movie, and then we're like, 'Oh my God, is that bus inside of the apartment?!'" He went on to reveal the close shave, stating "It missed by 15 feet, but yeah it was pretty close."
Two of the injured parties were initially reported to be in critical condition at Stroger Hospital, and another was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital with serious injuries, as fire officials told ABC7 Chicago. Some at the scene, engulfed by sirens and flashing lights, chose to forgo medical attention. Amid the sirens and flashing lights, police continue to piece together the events of this unfortunate hit-and-run incident.
