Video has emerged of a crash between a Connecticut Transit bus and a New Haven police cruiser. Footage from cameras on the bus shows the police cruiser slamming into the bus door and transit riders being jolted out of their seats and knocked to the floor.
After the initial impact, the bus careened into the New Haven Green and collided with a light pole. A pedestrian narrowly escaped being hit, and a number of people were injured, including the officer driving the police cruiser.
The quality of the surveillance video makes it difficult to see whether the police car’s lights and sirens were on. Witnesses on the scene gave conflicting accounts of the moments just before the crash, which took place in a matter of seconds.
What is clear from the video is the force with which the vehicles collided.
One camera angle shows a UPS truck on the side of the road, and there was some speculation that the delivery truck may have obstructed the bus driver’s view of the approaching police car.
The officer was reportedly responding to a disturbance at a nearby train station when the cruiser hit the bus.
Crashes involving such a large vehicle and such high rates of speed often leave innocent people with serious injuries. Even injuries thought at first to be minor can progressively worsen over time, resulting in ongoing medical treatment and time away from work.
It may be necessary, then, to negotiate with an insurance company to ensure that injured parties receive a reasonable settlement to compensate for damages.
Source: NBC Connecticut, “Surveillance Footage Shows Crash Involving Bus, Police Cruiser,” Amanda Raus and Ari Mason, Nov. 14, 2013
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