An investigation continues following a harrowing incident on Saturday afternoon involving a METRO bus and a vehicle on SH-288 at McGowen Street. The METRO bus, operating on Route 54, was reportedly struck from behind by another vehicle and went off the bridge. METRO confirmed that out of the 14 people transported to the hospital, 13 were passengers and one was the bus operator; however, the bus operator did not suffer any injuries, according to ABC13.
Houston Fire Department Captain Mario Gordon described the rescue efforts as "We make these all the time, but this was one of the more difficult rescues that we had to deal with." He detailed the use of the jaws of life and cutting tools to free a person pinned in the bus. "She was in great pain, and we were doing everything to try to comfort her," Cpt. Gordon told ABC13. The driver of the vehicle that allegedly struck the bus is in critical but stable condition, with all other injuries reported as minor.
The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. when the bus was traveling over the McGowen Street overpass. A witness, Latafia Harris, recounted the moments before the crash to Click2Houston, stating, "Me and my daughter was actually sitting at the stop getting ready to get on this bus. And she was going really, really fast." Harris expressed both trauma and relief, thankful that she and her daughter were not aboard at the time of the accident.
Following the incident, the METRO bus was moved to a Bus Operating Facility for further investigation and to extract video evidence. In a statement, a METRO spokesperson expressed their gratitude toward the emergency response teams: "We want to sincerely thank the METRO Police Department, Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department, wrecking crews, and all emergency and support personnel who worked together through the night to rescue those involved, secure the scene, and safely clear traffic." The vehicle involved will remain out of service while the investigation is ongoing, according to METRO. As for now, METRO's focus remains on the individuals affected by the crash and they appreciate the public's patience during this time, as reported by Click2Houston.
