August 09, 2023
THOM CARROLL/for PhillyVoice
A multi-car pile-up involving a SEPTA bus in Haverford sent four people to the hospital Tuesday night, police say. The crash was caused by a motorist who may have been experiencing a medical emergency.
Another crash involving a SEPTA vehicle left a pile of mangled metal and broken glass in the middle of a Haverford street and sent four people to the hospital with injuries Tuesday night, police said.
The chaotic chain-reaction was sparked by a black SUV driving the wrong way down West Chester Pike amidst what authorities believe may have been a medical emergency experienced by the driver, according to NBC 10.
MORE NEWS: The 7th SEPTA crash of the summer derails a trolley in Kingsessing
Despite the dramatic-looking aftermath – the SUV was pinned between a SEPTA bus and a tractor trailer in a nose-down, nearly vertical position – nobody was killed. Witnesses said the SUV had been riding on the median of the road before the collision at West Chester Pike and Eagle Road.
Crazy accident in Haverford involving a @Septa bus pic.twitter.com/mPSne9LzX9
— Pete Bannan (@PeteBannan) August 8, 2023
The involvement of a SEPTA bus in the pile-up is coincidental, but nonetheless notable following an unusually frequent string of crashes involving SEPTA vehicles this summer. In this case, the bus operator was not at fault, SEPTA said.
"Safety is our top priority, and our preliminary investigation shows that the SEPTA bus operator followed all proper procedures," SEPTA said in a statement given to news outlets Tuesday night. "The operator is receiving medical observation this evening, but fortunately did not suffer serious injuries, nor did any passengers. SEPTA will continue to fully cooperate with the ongoing police investigation."
The nature of the medical emergency being experienced by the driver of the SUV was not disclosed by authorities. Haverford Police did not immediately respond to an inquiry from PhillyVoice seeking more details.
SEPTA has responded to the recent series of crashes by vowing to investigate the incidents and examine its staffing levels and policies.
On Sunday, an off-duty SEPTA worker crashed her Mercedes into a SEPTA trolley and injured four people in the seventh SEPTA-involved accident of the summer. The driver, who worked as a maintenance custodian for SEPTA, was later charged with a DUI and aggravated assault.
Prior to that, a SEPTA trolley derailed and crashed into a historic home in Southwest Philly. Two SEPTA buses crashed in the Northeast, killing a man. Another trolley crashed in Upper Darby, a SEPTA bus crashed into a pole in Fishtown, and another bus jumped a curb and struck a building in Center City.
