A suspected stolen SUV plowed into two Chicago Transit Authority buses on the Near South Side late Friday, sending six riders to the hospital and landing at least one person in police custody. The chain-reaction crash snarled traffic around State Street near Cermak as first responders treated passengers on the pavement beside the damaged buses.
According to WGN-TV, the wreck started around 8:15 p.m. in the 2200 block of South State Street when a black SUV, believed to be stolen, allegedly hit a southbound CTA bus before careening into a northbound bus. The outlet reported the SUV’s driver, a 28-year-old man, was taken into custody and that charges are pending. Both bus operators walked away without injuries, according to the station.
CBS Chicago reported the crash was also logged just before 9 p.m. at Cermak Road and State Street, and that the Chicago Fire Department said six bus passengers were transported to area hospitals in good condition. CBS noted that unconfirmed dispatch traffic suggested officers may have been pursuing the SUV before the first impact, and that three people fled after the collision, with one person later taken into custody.
Scene and response
Images from the area showed crumpled bus fronts and firefighters working around the stopped vehicles as passengers were treated on the roadway. Police told WGN-TV the SUV first struck the southbound bus before hitting the northbound coach in the 2200 block of South State. Emergency crews evaluated multiple riders on site and took six to hospitals, while both bus drivers remained on their feet and uninjured.
A troubling pattern for bus collisions
This latest wreck slots into a worrying run of recent crashes in which private vehicles slammed into CTA buses and left clusters of riders hurt. In February, NBC Chicago reported a Bronzeville crash that sent 15 people to hospitals after a collision involving a bus. Then in May, CBS Chicago detailed a Garfield Park crash where a car allegedly ran a red light and hit two buses, injuring nine people. Advocates say the string of collisions highlights persistent safety and enforcement challenges on some of the city’s busiest corridors.
What comes next
Police say their investigation into Friday’s crash is ongoing and that charges against the arrested man are still pending. Authorities have asked anyone who may have video or information about the incident to contact the Chicago Police Department. As of the time of reporting, the CTA had not issued a public statement on how service was affected on the routes involved.
