A woman was struck by a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) bus in Oakland and is now in critical condition, as per reports from the incident. The crash occurred at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and South Neville Street around 6:56 p.m. yesterday. Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene following the incident, including police officers, firefighters, and medics, according to WTAE.
A PRT spokesperson stated that the woman, in her late 20s, was hit while the 58-Greenfield bus made a left turn from Neville Street onto Fifth Avenue. The victim was transported to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and remains in critical but stable condition. Students from the nearby Carnegie Mellon University witnessed the aftermath, with one recalling the troubling scene. "We saw a bunch of cops come and fire trucks and everything and we just ran out," Abdul Brooks, a CMU freshman, stated, as detailed by WPXI.
Personal belongings were visible under the bus when Channel 11 arrived at the scene. The students described how the first responders used wooden planks to lift the bus and free the trapped woman before placing her on a stretcher. The intersection was closed for nearly two hours as investigators worked the scene. According to WPXI, one student expressed shock at the event, "Pretty tragic situation. Honestly, I don’t even know how to respond to this," said Luca Molinari, another CMU student.
Meanwhile, the driver of the bus was visibly distressed after the crash. Witnesses mentioned seeing her exit the bus and crying. Regarding the victim's condition, a PRT spokesperson initially indicated that she would undergo surgery, but later updates clarified that this was no longer the case, at least not at the moment, as per a report by WPXI. Greenfield resident Sammy Balyasny, a regular commuter on the 58-Greenfield route, reflected on the unforeseen nature of such incidents to WTAE, saying, “You don’t really expect this to happen but when this does happen you start to think about how you’re going to get to work every day." This incident remains a developing story as further details emerge.
