Lucky to be alive: Eight injured after bus takes fall off Cross Bronx Expressway overpass

Investigators are still looking into what caused a driver to lose control of a tandem bus in the Bronx that crashed through a guardrail and dangled over the Cross Bronx Expressway on Thursday night.

Eight people were injured in the wreck that occurred at about 11:09 p.m. on Jan. 14 near the intersection of the expressway and University Avenue in Morris Heights. The injured, including the 55-year-old male driver, were treated at local hospitals.

Published reports indicated that the driver attempted to turn the Bx55 tandem bus from University Avenue onto the entrance ramp to the expressway’s southbound lanes (toward the George Washington Bridge) when he lost control and went over the side of the overpass.

That sent the front half of the articulated bus crashing down onto the roadway below, leaving the rear half on the overpass.

The Bx55 articulated bus that crashed off the University Avenue overpass onto the Cross Bronx Expressway on Jan. 14, 2021.Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

Video from University Ave and the Cross Bronx Expressway where FDNY members continue to operate on scene for a tandem bus that crashed through a barrier onto a lower roadway. pic.twitter.com/Q0Y0vW7WmT

— FDNY (@FDNY) January 15, 2021

According to FDNY Deputy Chief Paul Hopper, the bus fell 50 feet from the street above to the expressway’s access road. All of those injured in the wreck suffered injuries sustained from “a fall from such great height.”

The Cross Bronx was shut down for several hours while police worked to evacuate and treat the injured, then secure the bus and remove it from the roadway. FDNY acting Battalion Chief Steven Moore spoke of the precarious situation.

“While responding to this incident, I began discussing the information we were receiving, picturing a bus hanging off the edge,” Moore said early Friday morning. “We had two scenes here where Rescue 3 began securing the bus up-top while Engine 43 made their way around to begin treatment of the civilian patients. Currently we are making sure all the fuel and other hazardous materials within the vehicle is secured until the bus can be pulled onto the roadway.”

A firefighter inspects the bottom half of the bus that remained on the University Avenue overpass.Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

In a statement, MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Patrick Warren said the authority is “conducting a full investigation and will implement lessons learned in order to prevent it from happening again.”

“We are certain this was a terrifying incident for those customers on the bus,” Warren wrote. “Our hearts go out to them with hope that they can recover quickly.”